Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday called for changes to the government’s rent subsidy program to cover the period from the filing to the granting of financial aid, citing reports of delays resulting in smaller payouts to eligible tenants.
The government’s NT$30 billion (US$934.4 million) rent subsidy program is well-intentioned, but its effectiveness has been affected by red tape and an opaque real-estate market, DPP legislators Lin Yi-chin (林宜瑾), Wang Mei-hui (王美惠) and Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸) told a news conference at the legislature.
The Construction and Planning Agency said that the program has already been significantly broadened and the system should be run according to current rules.
Photo: CNA
Obstruction by landlords frequently prevented applicants from receiving the subsidies they are entitled to, Lin cited her constituents as saying.
Threats to terminate a lease and refusal to give tenants a copy of the contract are some of the methods landlords use to prevent tenants from applying for aid, she said, calling for better regulations.
Additionally, the application process usually takes two to three months, which means college students paying for six-month leases end up receiving very little in aid, she said.
As processing time for subsidy applications is unavoidable, the agency should give eligible applicants money for the months they spent waiting for the grant, she said.
According to current rules, successful applicants are to receive an amount covering the period from when the subsidy was approved until the end of the lease, she said.
This could result in complications if the recipient moves out of the apartment earlier than the date stipulated in the contract, she said, adding that officials should create a system to verify claims.
Construction and Planning Agency Chief Secretary Chu Ching-lun (朱慶倫) said that Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) has presided over the largest-ever expansion of the subsidy program in its 15-year history.
The expansion vastly increased the program’s budget from NT$4 billion to NT$5 billion before to its current scale, while eligibility requirements have been relaxed to allow more people to qualify, he said.
The program’s expenditures must be regulated to last for its projected duration of four years and the agency hopes to stick to current rules, he said, adding that if the program is effective, it might be extended.
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