The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) launched a bus body advertising campaign under the tagline “Open Your Doors to Tenants of All Ethnicities” on 5 December 2022 to promote racial equality in tenancy. This follows a previous “Good Tenants Come in All Ethnicities” campaign that ran in MTR compartments and on bus bodies in 2021. The new advertisements will be displayed on 50 buses along various routes for six weeks.

Many members of the racial minority communities, particularly those from lower income groups, encounter difficulties when looking for an apartment.  In the EOC’s recent meetings with non-governmental organisations and community groups, discrimination in relation to tenancy is still mentioned as the most critical and intolerable as this has a direct impact on their daily lives.  

The Race Discrimination Ordinance (RDO) prohibits discrimination against a person on the grounds of race in the disposal or management of premises. Landlords and estate agents are bound by the ordinance. Legislation aside, education is equally important to prevent discrimination in tenancy.   

In order to influence landlords and real estate agents to be more inclusive in their dealings with people from the non-Chinese communities, the EOC has been working with the Estate Agents Authority on providing training for estate agents. Meanwhile, a series of explainer videos in nine languages has been released in 2022 on the rights protected under the RDO. The new advertising campaign is a further step to directly engage the public with the positive message of inclusion and equality.

EOC Chairperson Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin said, “As a global city, Hong Kong has a long history of multiculturalism. There should be no place for discrimination on the grounds of race.  Housing is a particularly critical area as the lack of suitable accommodation can directly impact a person’s well-being and dignity. The right to appropriate housing is a fundamental right, one that should not be denied to anyone on any grounds, including race. This campaign aims to encourage all landlords to be open and welcoming to tenants from all ethnicities and backgrounds.”
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Equal Opportunities Commission
8 December 2022
 

The Equal Opportunities Commission launched a bus body advertising campaign under the tagline “Open Your Doors to Tenants of All Ethnicities” on 5 December 2022 to promote racial equality in tenancy.