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The following is issued on behalf of the Housing Authority:
The Housing Authority will proceed with a series of programmes to improve the living environment for public housing tenants through the enhancement of pedestrian access, repair and maintenance service in housing estates.
The authority's Subsidised Housing Committee (SHC) today (January 2) endorsed programmes of addition of lifts, escalators and footbridges in public rental housing (PRH) estates.
Feasibility studies and consultation at various stages are being carried out at about 20 estates located at hillsides to evaluate the need and priority to add lifts or escalators at estate external areas. An overall work programme will be formulated afterwards.
"While escalators and lifts with footbridges are effective means for elderly pedestrians to overcome level differences, certain guiding principles will be adopted in the evaluation," a spokesman for the Housing Authority said.
"For example, the vertical level difference between the platforms to be connected should at least six metres, and the location of any escalators, lift towers and footbridges must be within the estate boundary," the spokesman said.
New lifts would also be added to 35 blocks mostly seven storeys high, without lift services, in 12 PRH estates.
The SHC also endorsed the continuation of the current lift modernisation programme. Under the programme, all lifts over 25 years of age would be replaced in accordance with priority based on factors such as breakdown rates, safety, comfort and energy efficiency.
To help create job opportunities in view of the recent downturn of the economy, the committee also decided to shorten the work programme of adding the new facilities from the originally planned five years to four years.
"The advanced schedule will also enable our tenants to enjoy the new facilities earlier," the spokesman said.
In reviewing the progress of the Total Maintenance Scheme (TMS) at its meeting today, the SHC drew on the success of the scheme and endorsed approaches to enhance maintenance services for public rental housing.
Noting that half the PRH stock will be more than 30 years of age in 10 years, and the significant elderly population in it, members of SHC agreed that the maintenance services should emphasise preservation through different approaches.
"Early preventive maintenance is one of the approaches to upkeep the housing stock in good repair condition and reduce the life-cycle cost," the spokesman said.
Building on the momentum of the TMS, the SHC endorsed to adopt the TMS model and workflow in carrying out responsive in-flat repair works. Dedicated in-flat technical teams will be set up in districts to promptly respond to tenants' requests.
The TMS in-flat inspection and repair, currently under a five-year programme, will be developed into a regular programme. Thorough inspection will be carried out every 10 years for estates aged 20 and above, whereas general inspection every five years for estates aged 10 and above.
For estates with Comprehensive Structural Investigation Programme (CSIP) carried out and preserved, it was endorsed that the CSIP to be conducted again in next 15 years to review whether to redevelop or preserve the estates.
The committee also agreed that the Estate Improvement Programme should focus on activity-based rather than facility-based considerations, based on the key concerns of tenants of each estate.
Some of the maintenance works programmes will also be accelerated to help create job opportunities and benefit tenants. Among others, the TMS in-flat inspection and repair service would be advanced and some originally five-year work cycle would be completed in four years, the spokesman said.
Ends/Friday, January 2, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:13
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