Macau | Group submit petition to complain application requirements for social housing

Macau (MNA) –  A group and citizens lodged a petition to complain about the inappropriate requirements for social housing applicants to provide income proofs only of October.

After submitting the petition on Friday at the Government Headquarter Office, Legislator Ella Lei Cheng I said the government does not consider the groups who might have an unstable income, unlike previous applications in 2013 of which the government considered average income of 6 months and 12 months.

She noted that there were mandatory holidays in the month of October, and there are many cases that workers would be paid extra for working during those days. However, due to the aforementioned condition, there are cases in which residents who are supposed to be qualified for applying social housing exceeded MOP700 of the income cap.

The legislator told the press that she had made an enquiry to the Housing Bureau (IH) on the matter, but the reply was that “given it is already announced as a public notice, no re-adjustment can be made”.

Ms. Lei pointed out that the ongoing applications for social housing clearly stated for applicants to fill up their ‘average total income’, and the government is taking a completely different approach, she criticised.

She also noted that the related regulations are interpreted differently among different departments, saying that the official administrative regulations should include articles that accurately indicate the consideration of average income proof of different time range.

An affected citizen surnamed Sin told the press that she had been waiting for applying social housing for five years, saying that she wants to depend herself by earning her income but was disappointed by the high price of rental and houses price in the city.