In partnership with the Team Clean set up by the Government, the Housing Department (HD) has sustained the following efforts at public housing estates (PHEs) with a view to creating a clean and healthy living environment.

The HD has introduced the Marking Scheme for Tenancy Enforcement in PHEs and Interim Housing since 1 August 2003. To signify its wider use for more effective estate management, the scheme was renamed as Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement in Public Housing Estates on 18 October 2006. Under the scheme, points will be allotted to households committing misdeeds that affect public hygiene or pose public health hazards. Accumulation of 16 points within two years will trigger actions for tenancy termination. In December 2011, written warnings were issued to 4 households whilst marks were allotted to 138 households under the Scheme.

Subsequent to the endorsement of the Legislative Council to raise penalties for cleanliness offences to $1,500 with effect from 26 June 2003, the HD has increased inspection manpower to step up actions against spitting and littering at PHEs. In December 2011, a total of 34 fixed penalty notices were issued to 7 spitting and 27 littering offenders at PHEs.

The HD has carried out joint operations with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Police to combat illegal cooked food hawking at PHEs. As a result, the number of illegal cooked food hawkers has dropped greatly. In December 2011, 207 operations were carried out with 4 seizures of goods made.

In July 2004, the HD completed door-to-door inspections of internal drainage pipes in PHE blocks and continued with the inspection of external drainage pipes. In December 2011, the HD inspected the external drainage pipes in 106 PHE blocks. Repairs were made to those pipes in 56 blocks found having defects.