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The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, today (December 20) visited an elderly centre at Tin Chak Estate in Tin Shui Wai to understand more about supportive services for the elderly tenants of public housing estates. She also visited a family in the estate.
Located in the Tin Chak Ancillary Facilities Block, Caritas District Elderly Centre - Yuen Long (Tin Chak Centre) was converted from under-utilised Housing for Senior Citizens (HSC) flats.
Ms Cheng was pleased to know that since the centre opened, elderly tenants of Tin Chak Estate and nearby public housing estates have had a venue for gathering and have made use of the wide range of services and joined the activities at the centre to keep up a healthy lifestyle.
HSC is hostel-type public housing introduced in the late 1980s, and demand for such hostel-type public housing gradually decreased in the 2000s. To cope with the changing needs of society and better utilise resources, the Housing Authority introduced a trial scheme in 2002 to convert HSC flats with relatively high vacancy rates into normal public rental housing flats or community services buildings. The block Ms Cheng visited today was converted from 193 HSC flats in 2008. The three-storey block is currently let to six non-government organisations including a social service centre, a multi-services centre and an elderly community centre.
"It is very important to address demand in the community in a timely manner and utilise invaluable housing resources effectively. The conversion of HSC flats in Tin Chak Estate into community service facilities in turn benefits more tenants in the district," Ms Cheng said after visiting the centre. "It is a correct decision and also very meaningful indeed."
Ms Cheng then paid visit to a family of four in Chak Yu House. The tenant told Ms Cheng that he applied for public housing with his daughter in 2004 and was allocated a flat in Tin Yan Estate a year later. He applied for special transfer in 2008 as his wife arrived in Hong Kong and got pregnant. The application was approved in one month and a flat of 40 square metres, which the family is living in, was allocated after three months.
Ms Cheng was very pleased to see that the family is living a stable and harmonious life after moving into the flat. The wife of the tenant also told Ms Cheng that she is very content with the living environment. She said that it is very convenient to buy food in the market, that the facilities are very good and that transportation is convenient too, and she added that the family can enjoy recreational activities during their leisure time.
With the Winter Solstice and Christmas around the corner, Ms Cheng extended her greetings to the couple and their daughters.
Ends/Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Issued at HKT 20:29
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