■今年劏房租金較去年升逾一成，政府應加強對住戶的支援。 資料圖片■Jeffrey Tse [ywc_jeffrey@hotmail.com]
原文
有研究指，今年劏房（subdivided flats）租金較去年升13.6%，升幅是私人住宅租金升幅的近兩倍。倘若將劏房戶支付的水電費（utility charges）也被業主加價的情況計算在內的話，租金升幅更驚人了。
因此，政府亟需研究多方面措施，加強對居住劏房的基層市民的支援和照顧，包括廣泛發動慈善團體給予必要津貼，探討推行租金管制，提升租戶的議價空間（bargaining power of tenants）等等。
平均租金佔住戶入息34.4%
劏房住戶環境極端惡劣，很多都是幾十年的老舊唐樓（decades-old tenement buildings），設施陳舊兼有不少色情場所混雜其中，品流複雜。近六成劏房有漏水（water seepage）等失修情況，當中逾三成更有結構性危險（structurally dangerous），潛藏諸多消防、治安和健康風險。
研究指出，目前劏房平均面積只有133平方呎，平均居住2.66人，人均只有不足60呎，較公屋的人均75呎更細；但平均租金就接近4,100元，是住戶平均入息的34.4%。
現時，劏房住客有領取綜援過活的貧窮家庭，有正在輪候公屋（public rental housing）的基層家庭，亦有就讀於香港大專院校的外地學生、婚前同居的男女等等。正正是由於劏房需求來自五湖四海，近年很多劏房都供不應求，較為極端的個案，業主（landlords）甚至一年內加租一倍，還聲稱「大把人等住租」。
要讓這些住戶離開劏房，無非「上樓」住公屋，但公屋輪候的長龍越排越長，過去10年輪候人數由約10萬上升至接近30萬，平均要輪候4.1年。
閒置校舍宿舍解燃眉急
既然劏房住戶的成分多元（diversified），要解決這個問題，亦都要多管齊下、對症下藥。短期而言，可以提供中轉房屋（interim housing）給一些已經輪候公屋3年以上的家庭解燃眉之急。
中期而言，可以研究恢復租金管制，規管租賃合同以及續約。政府可轉變角色，做租客與房東之間的協調人（mediator），以免劏房租戶任由業主逼遷或硬食加租。
長期而言，當然要多建公屋、平抑房價。不過，以公屋供應為例，政府預計未來4年只有約10萬個公屋落成，建屋量仍落後於預計三成，在遠水難解近渴的情況下，政府的確有必要研究其他措施幫助解決劏房問題，例如利用一些閒置校舍、宿舍（abandoned schools and dormitories）等資源，延續N無人士津貼計劃，幫助劏房戶渡過難關。
（標題及小標題為編輯所加）（摘錄自文匯報社評10-10-2016）
譯文
Rents for subdivided flats have risen 13.6 per cent last year, almost double the rate of private housing, according to a research. The surge in rents would be even more alarming if the increase in utility charges paid by tenants is also taken into account.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for government action to enhance the support and care of grassroots living in subdivided flats. The government should seek to cooperate with charitable organisations to provide subsidies for basic necessities to vulnerable citizens. Officials should also explore proactively the possibility to reintroduce rent control so as to boost the bargaining power of tenants.
Average rent is 34.4pc of occupant income
Living environment in subdivided flats is extremely poor. Most of them are located in decades-old tenement buildings, where vice establishments are often only a door away. Nearly 60 per cent of them are reported with maintenance issues such as water seepage, and over 30 per cent are even structurally dangerous. Tenants are exposed to potential fire hazard, crime and health risks.
The research also indicated that these cubicles, averaging only 133 sq ft, are crammed with an average of 2.66 people. Each tenant's average living space is barely 60 sq ft, which is even less than the 75 sq ft in public housing estates. However, the average rent of these subdivisions still mounts up to HK$4,100 per month, 34.4 per cent of what the tenants earn.
Currently, tenants of these subdivided flats include Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipient families, applicants on the waiting list for public rental housing, foreign tertiary-level students studying in Hong Kong, cohabiting couples and many more. As demand comes from all corners of the society, these low-income housings have been in short supply in recent years. In some extreme cases, landlords allegedly double the rent within a year and claims that "many would still be willing to rent the place".
To pull these tenants out from the harsh conditions in subdivided flats, public rental housing would be the sole solution. However, public housing applicants will have to wait 4.1 years in average as the number of applications has skyrocketed from 100,000 to nearly 300,000 in the past decade.
Abandoned schools give temporary room
Since the composition of subdivided flat tenants is diversified, a multipronged approach should be adopted in order to tackle the problem. In the short term, interim housing could be provided to families who have been on the public housing waiting list for more than three years. In the medium term, the government should consider the possibility of restoring rent control, so that the signing and renewal of tenancy agreements could be regulated. By doing so, the government could act as a mediator between tenants and landlords, and tenants are protected from eviction or unreasonable increase in rents.
In the long run, the government must vacate more public housing flats and improve affordability of private housings. However, the authorities expect that only about 100,000 public housing units could be built in the next four years, which is 30 per cent short of the original target. It is therefore necessary for the government to consider other measures to tackle subdivided flats.
For instance, the government could turn abandoned schools and dormitories into temporary housings, and consider extending the Living Subsidy for Non-Public Housing and Non-CSSA Households, so as to alleviate the difficulties faced by subdivided flat tenants.
Learning Point
香港曾經訂立租務管制相關法例，保障租戶之租住權以及限制租金升幅。但政府分別於1998及2004年修例，撤銷租金管制租住權保障。
Exercise
1. N無人士津貼計劃
2. 租客
3. 劏房
4. 租賃合同
5. 逼遷
6. 唐樓
7. 綜援
8. 色情場所
9. 租金管制
10. 房東
Answer
1. Living Subsidy for Non-Public Housing and Non-CSSA Households
2. Tenant
3. Subdivided flats
4. Tenancy agreement
5. Eviction
6. Tenement building
7. Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA)
8. Vice establishment
9. Rent Control
10. Landlord