THE HONG KONG HOUSING AUTHORITY

Memorandum for the Development Committee

Housing For Elderly People - New Initiatives
 

PURPOSE

This paper is an overview of the current provision of Housing for the Elderly with an emphasis on the new initiatives that the Housing Authority is pursuing.

CURRENT PROVISIONS

2. Housing for the elderly has been provided in Public Housing Estates in the past through the general allocation of small self- contained flats or through hostel-type Sheltered Housing for the elderly in converted flats n standard blocks.

3. Small self-contained flats for single persons were originally provided through the conversion of larger family flats in standard blocks until the Harmony Blocks were introduced in 1989 where they were provided a part of the standard flat mix options.

4. Housing for Senior Citizens (formerly known as Sheltered Housing for the Elderly) is currently provided through the conversion of standard flats on the lower floors of Harmony Blocks where two to three residents share kitchens and bathrooms and have the use of a communal common room.

5. From 1992 additional accommodation for single persons has been provided through the programme of construction of Annex Blocks which are designed to be linked to Harmony Blocks and to take the main building services from them.

NEW INITIATIVES IN HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY

6. There have been changes in eligibility criteria for small households and in the users demands and expectations in recent years arising out of he purpose-designed small flats. New initiatives in Housing for single persons and the elderly have therefore been required.

DESIGNS FOR THE ELDERLY

7. Designs specifically for the elderly include the following

(a) NEW INITIATIVE - Housing for Small Households

These are developments of up to 21 storeys using a combination of different standard flat plans to suit individual sites with welfare premises at the ground floor, Housing for Senior Citizens at lower floors, and lP/2P flats and small family flats on the upper floors. This type of block is designed specifically to suit the needs of the elderly, although in practice it is envisaged that about 70% of the flats will be allocated for such purpose. The proposals were endorsed by Building Committee in April 1994 by way of Paper No. BC51/94. P/2P flats are to the latest allocation standard of a maximum of 22m2.

(b) Housing for Senior Citizens

There are three types of Housing for Senior Citizens in the Public Housing Development programme.

(i) EXISTING HS/1 - In the lower floors of standard Harmony Blocks. Standard units are bed sitting rooms of 6.1m2 to 11m2. The current design provides accommodation for 130 to 150 people in groups of two or three who share a bathroom and kitchen. This type of accommodation has been provided in the lower floors of residential blocks for some time and was formerly known as Hostels for the elderly managed by Non-Governmental Organisations and latterly Sheltered Housing, managed by the Housing Department.

(ii) NEW INITIATIVE HS/2 - In low-rise developments above a podium or car park. The objective is to maximize the development potential of the site and to integrate with other estate facilities. Bed-sitting rooms and centrally located communal facilities are grouped in clusters around a courtyard to reduce the scale of the development and avoid an institutional appearance. The proto type design was developed for Lam Tin Redevelopment Phase 4 and approved by the Building Committee in March 1994 by way of Paper No. BC 35/94. Bed sitting rooms are 6.8m2 and residents share bathrooms and kitchens.

(iii) NEW INITIATIVE HS/3 - In Small Household developments discussed at paragraph 7(a). These are in the lower floors of Small Households developments to maximize the production of accommodation for the elderly and encourage social contact between residents. Individual rooms for single persons and for couples are arranged in 'house' groups of approximately six people with shared kitchens, common room, dining rooms and laundry facilities. This type of accommodation was included in the BC approval for small house hold sat paragraph 7(a) above. Bed sitting rooms are 12.5m2 for 1P and 18m2 for2P including an ensuite bathroom.

8. In addition to those which are specifically designed for the elderly, there are designs for 1P and 2P which may be allocated to the elderly to meet the demands

(a) NEW INITIATIVE - New Harmony Annex Blocks

These blocks are a development of the concept originally implemented in 1992 on 11 contracts where a small block of 1P flats was attached to a standard Harmony Block and took its main building services from it. The new blocks are similarly designed to link to a standard Harmony block and to take the main building services from it. There are three types of block, all with 20 domestic floors providing 140 to 180 flats in each block. Special features are incorporated in the individual flats to cater for the needs of the elderly and the wheelchair bound, so as to minimize later conversion work within these flats. The Client Brief for this block and the scheme designs were endorsed by the Building Committee in June 1994 and November1994 by way of Paper Nos. BC 47/94 and BC 77/94 respectively. lP/2P flats in these blocks are based upon the standards adopted in the Housing for Small Households discussed at paragraph 7(a) but are slightly smaller at20m2.

(b) EXISTING HARMONY BLOCKS AND EXISTING HARMONY ANNEX BLOCKS

1P flats in existing Harmony Blocks and existing Harmony  Annex Blocks are of 17m2 each. They are primarily intended for the 1P but can be fitted out to suit the elderly.

9. Based on projections of the likely demand for accommodation for the elderly as a result of the elderly housing priority scheme and redevelopment projects, it is likely that in the period 1996/97 to 2000/1 up to 70% of the total supply of small flats may be allocated to the elderly.

ESTATE SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY

10. There has always been close co-operation between the Housing Department, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) and the Non- Governmental Organisations. Public Housing Estates now include Social Centres for the Elderly, Day Care Centres for the Elderly and Multi-Service Centres for the Elderly. Estate Liaison Officers (ELO), have been posted to some Housing Estates. They serve as a link between the relevant organizations and those elderly persons who are unable to reach out for services. In addition to this, an Emergency Alarm Scheme is in operation in some estates for those elderly living alone.

DEMAND AND SUPPLY

11. In his 1993 Policy Address, the Governor promised to-

(a) rehouse by 1997, 4,000 elderly single people on the Waiting List in 1993;

(b) give priority to elderly people who apply for public housing; and

(c) tackle urgently the problem of some 27,000 elderly people living in sub-standard accommodation in the private sector but have not come forward to register on the Waiting List.

12. Over the six year period from 1995/96 to 2000/1, there will be some11,413 new units available for allocation to the elderly. They include both shared and self-contained accommodation and comprises 3,159(85% of3,716) units in the Small Household Blocks, 7,115 units in Housing for Senior Citizens and 1.139(70% of 1,627) units in the New Harmony Annex Blocks.

13. Over the same period, an estimated 20,305 vacated flats will be refurbished to provide additional supply of flats for the elderly. A break down of the particular types of flat is shown in the brochure at Appendix 1.

14. The Ad Hoc Committee on Housing for the elderly estimated, as at March 1994, that the demand for Housing for the elderly, between 1994/95and 1998/99, would amount to 24,980. The current estimate for 1995/96 to2000/1 is approximately 28,000, based on the current housing programme and prevailing waiting list quota allocations.

15. Compared with the anticipated supply as indicated in Appendix 1,the demand should be met although there may be some mismatches in certain districts. This will be dealt with at the detailed implementation stage.

Appendices

Appendix 1 - Supply of Small Flats 1995/96 to 2000/01
Appendix 2 - Brochure -Housing for Elderly People in New
Developments New Initiatives
 

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File Ref.: HD(C)DS 322/G

Date : 1 May 1995