Housing minister Winnie Ho said on Wednesday that officials have taken back some 6,400 public flats in the past two and a half years after tenants were found to be abusing housing resources.

In a written reply to a question from Heung Yee Kuk lawmaker Kenneth Lau, Ho said nearly 400 tenants were prosecuted during the period.

Seven of them were given jail terms or suspended sentences for violating housing laws. In the most serious case, a tenant was given an immediate jail term of 30 days.

The government is to launch a reward scheme in January, giving people around HK$3,000 for reports of tenancy abuse.

The housing chief said the scheme is generally supported by the community and won't damage relationships between neighbours.

"Regarding views that the Award Scheme may be a detriment to neighbourhood relationships, the Housing Authority believes that [public housing] residents would not welcome abusers in their neighbourhood," Ho said.

"[Tenancy] abuse would bring injustice, or even affect the living environment of public rental housing and bring nuisance."

She added that it is believed the scheme will enhance awareness of the need to cherish housing resources.