The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) launched an MTR cabin advertising campaign with the tagline “Open Your Doors to Tenants of All Ethnicities” on 6 July 2023 to promote racial equality in tenancy. This is a continuation of the campaign which ran on 50 buses last December. The MTR campaign features two posters, which are displayed in three trains running on the Kwun Tong, Island and Tsuen Wan Lines respectively for 12 weeks.

The campaign aims to shine a spotlight on racial discrimination in tenancy, an important area covered by the Race Discrimination Ordinance. Members of racial minority communities, particularly those from lower income groups, frequently mention the difficulties they encounter when looking to rent an apartment. This advertising campaign seeks to promote a positive message of inclusion and equality to the public, including landlords.

The Race Discrimination Ordinance prohibits discrimination against a person on the ground of their race in the disposal or management of premises. Landlords and estate agents are bound by the ordinance.

The EOC thanks the Estate Agents Authority (EAA) for partnering with the EOC to promote racial equality in tenancy over the years. Not only did they provide inputs for this campaign, the EAA has also facilitated training to its licensees by the EOC to be more inclusive in their dealings with those from non-Chinese communities.

EOC Chairperson Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin said, “Access to decent housing is a fundamental right. Today many in the city continue to face challenges in finding suitable housing, and some have an even tougher time finding a place to call home due to racial discrimination. Hong Kong is a global city with a vision to be inclusive and open to people of all races, colour and ethnicity. There is no place for racial discrimination here. Housing is a particularly important area as the lack of suitable accommodation can directly impact a person’s well-being and dignity. 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
11 July 2023

Two versions of the EOC’s advertisement on MTR carriage panels, under the caption “Open Your Doors to Tenants of All Ethnicities”.