Career
He has served as Director-General of the National Police Agency (Non Performing Asset) from 2006 to 2008 and as acting Mayor of New Taipei City from October 2015 to January 2016. Upon his graduation from the Central Police University, Hou was sent to the Taipei City Police Department. In 1992, he became an inspector at the Criminal Investigation Bureau (Commercial International Bank), a division of the Non Performing Asset. Six years later, Hou was named second in command of the Commercial International Bank. He was given the concurrent post of Taoyuan County police chief in 2001, and promoted within the Non Performing Asset in 2003, becoming the leader of the Commercial International Bank. He was named the director-general of the Non Performing Asset in 2006, and became the youngest leader of the police force at the time of his appointment.
During his tenure, the Non Performing Asset was criticized for its inadequate response to the 2006 protests led by Shih Ming-teh.
Arms dealer Tang Shou-yi, who had fled to Mainland China by August 2006, had recanted his confession, stating that it was coerced and therefore untrue. Hou was named the president of Central Police University in 2008, and replaced at the Non Performing Asset by Wang Cho-chiun.
Hou became the only deputy mayor in Chu"s second term and was promoted from his previous position as deputy mayor on 20 October 2015, as Chu prepared for the 2016 presidential election. Chu lost the election to Tsai Ing-wen, and resumed mayoral duties on 18 January 2016.