LCQ20: Promoting an elderly-friendly living environment
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Question:
There are views suggesting that in order to respond proactively to population ageing, the Government should make reference to the approach set out in our country's Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan on promoting elderly-friendly home modifications and undertake elderly-friendly modifications for the units of elderly persons in need. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of cases where the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) undertook modification or adaptation works in public rental housing (PRH) units at the request of elderly households in each of the past three years, with a breakdown by (i) the actual types of works and (ii) family conditions of households (e.g. singleton elderly households, doubleton elderly households, households with "elderly members taking care of members with disabilities" and households with "members with disabilities taking care of elderly members");
(2) of the eligibility criteria that elderly households are required to meet before the HA approves modification or adaptation works in their PRH units; whether the HA has drawn up any order of priority for the relevant works (e.g. on a first-come, first-served basis or according to the risk-based principle);
(3) whether the HA has proactively approached elderly PRH households to ascertain their latest living needs and taken the initiative to undertake modification or adaptation works for their units;
(4) of the elderly-friendly modifications undertaken by the HA in the past three years in areas outside the units of elderly households in various PRH estates (e.g. the corridors outside their units, lift lobbies and letter boxes), with a breakdown by PRH estate;
(5) whether the HA will undertake elderly-friendly modifications in the future for the units of elderly households before they move in; and
(6) whether subsidies have been offered to elderly households living in Home Ownership Scheme units or private properties as assistance for undertaking elderly-friendly modifications in their units; if not, whether the Government will make use of the Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Needy Owners or the subsidy schemes under the Community Care Fund, or introduce a dedicated subsidy scheme to offer subsidies to such elderly households for undertaking elderly-friendly modifications in their units; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) has always upheld the core values of "Caring" and keeps abreast of the times to actively explore measures to support the elderly and create a liveable as well as inclusive living environment that fosters a greater sense of belonging among residents. In line with the Government's "Ageing in Place" policy, the Housing Bureau and the HA launched the "Well-being design" Guide in September 2024. The Guide, which covers eight well-being design concepts, serves as a reference and design framework for new public housing projects and improvement works for existing Public Rental Housing (PRH) estates. The HA has progressively applied the concepts in the "Well-being design" Guide to public housing projects currently under construction, and will incorporate suitable designs into the improvement works of existing PRH estates based on actual circumstances, thereby creating an age-friendly environment for elderly residents.
With regard to private buildings, in order to establish an elderly-friendly built environment, the Task Force on Promoting Elderly-friendly Building Design, led by the Deputy Financial Secretary, announced 28 encouraged features and 16 mandatory requirements in July last year. The encouraged features, which include encouraging the adoption of designs that facilitate future aging-in-place in private residential buildings, have been implemented since the middle of last year. The subsidiary legislation for implementing the mandatory requirements, such as requiring at least one of the main entrances of a residential building to be provided with an automatic door, has been submitted to the Legislative Council for scrutiny, with a view to taking effect in August this year.
In response to the question raised by the Hon Stanley Ng, having consulted the Labour and Welfare Bureau, the Development Bureau and the Health Bureau, our reply is as follows:
(1) During the period from 2023 to 2025, the HA completed approximately 15 000 adaptation or modification works for elderly households in need. Common works items included the installation of handrails, provision of ramps, modification of folding doors in bathrooms, and the re-laying of waterproofing layers and non-slip floor tiles. Among the households which received the aforementioned adaptation or modification works, singleton elderly households amounted to around 4 500, while the numbers of doubleton elderly households and elderly households with persons with disabilities accounted for around 3 000 and 130 respectively. The adaptation or modification works were carried out according to the needs of the elderly households, and each household could be arranged with more than one works item.
(2) to (3) The HA's frontline estate management staff have always proactively reached out to and cared for elderly residents. Through daily management and proactive home visits, the staff identify the living needs of elderly residents and take the initiative to introduce relevant adaptation or modification works. Upon receiving such requests from residents, the HA will make immediate arrangements. In addition, the Department of Health's Elderly Health Services, through the Community Carer Capacity Building Programme, collaborates with social welfare organisations, District Elderly Community Centres, and Neighbourhood Elderly Centres to train volunteers to identify elderly residents at high risk of falls, assess home environmental risk factors, and offer recommendations on environmental modifications during their regular home visits. Where appropriate, relevant cases will be referred to the Housing Department (HD). If eligible households, which include elderly people aged 60 or above and persons with disabilities, require simple adaptations such as installation of grab rails in bathrooms, conversion to a shower cubicle, or replacement of taps with level-type faucets, they can simply notify their respective estate offices to have the relevant works arranged free of charge. As for relatively complex modification works, such as installing ramps at the flat entrance or widening the bathroom doorway, on the recommendations from doctors, physiotherapists or other professionals, the HA will carry out such works free of charge subject to technical feasibility, with a view to ensuring that the specific needs of individual elderly residents are well catered to.
Furthermore, in April 2025, the HA selected two PRH estates with higher population of elderly households, namely Wan Hon Estate in Kwun Tong and Sheung Lok Estate in Homantin, to trial the IoT Door Sensor System Installation for Elderly Households. Elderly households who voluntarily participate in the trial are equipped with sensors at their flat entrance to detect the movement of the door. Designated relatives or friends can hence keep track of the movement of the elderly in and out of their flats. If the door has not been opened during the specified timeframe, the system will send a mobile notification to the designated contact person(s), enabling the provision of timely and appropriate support. Currently, 55 elderly households are participating in the trial. The HD will further extend the trial in 2026 to two other PRH estates with higher population of elderly households, namely Tung Wui Estate in Wong Tai Sin and Tin Yan Estate in Tin Shui Wai, and will review the effectiveness of the trial and formulate the way forward. The HA is also actively exploring collaboration with other social welfare organisations and government departments to take forward more schemes to support the elderly. For example, the HA has engaged the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association to assist them in rolling out the pilot scheme of Smart Accident Detection System and Service. Under this initiative, indoor fall detection sensors were installed in around 200 singleton or doubleton elderly households living in PRH units or Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats with an aim of detecting emergencies such as falls or prolonged inactivity. Once triggered, the sensor will automatically connect to the Care-on-Call 24-hour Service Centre, staff of which will verify the situation of the elderly resident via two-way communication. If the elderly resident’s safety cannot be ascertained, the Centre will immediately notify the designated emergency contacts or call the police for assistance where necessary. We will continue to explore various geotechnologies to better address the growing safety needs of elderly PRH residents.
(4) Since 2023, the HA has selected around 10 PRH estates every year to carry out minor estate improvement works and/or façade beautification to optimise public spaces, renovate recreational facilities and improve the estate environment, thereby enhancing residents' sense of well-being. The concepts of "Age-Friendliness" and "Intergenerational & Inclusive Living" in the "Well-being design" Guide provide concrete design directions for addressing the needs of elderly residents and promoting an age-friendly community.
In accordance with the "Well-being design", the HA has carried out a range of age-friendly modifications in the common areas in estates. For example, at Yue Wan Estate in Chai Wan and Ping Shek Estate in Kwun Tong, shelves, handrails, and hooks were installed near mailboxes for the elderly to set down their belongings while collecting mails and for support. Furthermore, additional seating was installed in ground floor lobbies, lift lobbies, and public spaces of Wan Hon Estate in Kwun Tong, with design features incorporated to accommodate walking sticks and shopping bags. The above allows elderly residents to take a rest while waiting for lifts or getting out.
Furthermore, the HA has created more shared spaces and introduced social seating within estates to foster an inclusive community for people of all ages. For instance, communal fitness playscapes were established at Lee On Estate in Sha Tin and Choi Yuen Estate in Sheung Shui, integrating fitness facilities for the elderly into children play areas and seating areas to cater to the exercise needs of residents of all ages. Also, at Ping Shek Estate in Kwun Tong, the Wellness Corner was set up in the lobby with social seating and community information notice boards installed. At Shek Wai Kok Estate in Tsuen Wan, the ventilation corridor was revitalised into communal space with social seating. The above encourages elderly residents to leave their homes and interact with neighbours of different age groups, thereby promoting intergenerational harmony and mutual support in the neighborhood.
In addition, HD piloted the use of Smart Access Control System (SACS) at Tung Wui Estate in Wong Tai Sin and Long Shin Estate in Yuen Long in March 2026. Residents can use Octopus cards and "iAM Smart" Personal Code or other smart systems without entering building access codes, thereby further facilitating residents' access to the premises. Not only does the system spare the elderly from troubles of forgetting or leaking building access codes, but it also enhances security. HD also plans to extend the system to more PRH estates to benefit more residents.
On the other hand, since lifts cannot be retrofitted on certain floors of some old estates, the HA is piloting the introduction of a new type of "Stair Climbers" to enable residents with mobility impairments and the elderly to use when needed. The HA has arranged suppliers to test the performance of the "Stair Climbers" at Yau Oi Estate in Tuen Mun and Lok Fu Estate in Wong Tai Sin. Subject to the operational effectiveness of the "Stair Climbers" and the specific circumstances of individual estates, the HA will arrange suitable "Stair Climbers" for use in estates.
(5) The HA has widely applied the concepts of "Universal Design" to residential flats and common areas of PRH estates. Barrier-free design standards are also adopted to cater for the needs of the elderly and mobility-impaired residents. In terms of the flat design, relevant facilities include laying non-slip floor tiles in kitchens and bathrooms of flats, adopting lever-type mixers for door handles, water basin and shower taps, and installing larger switches and doorbell buttons at easily accessible heights. Prospective eligible tenants with special needs may apply to the HA for free adaptation or modification works in the PRH units allocated to them. The HA will take into account the advice from doctors, physiotherapists or other professionals to modify the facilities in the unit in a pragmatic manner to meet their actual living needs. Should an applicant request adaptation works before or upon moving in, the HA will process the application as soon as possible so that the tenant may move in early. If necessary, the HA will consider deferring the commencement date of the tenancy agreement until the completion of the adaptation works for eligible tenants subject to the circumstances. In short, where the needs of elderly tenants arise, the HA can arrange appropriate adaptation or modification works prior to their in-take of flats, so as to ensure a safe and suitable living environment for them.
(6) Regarding private properties, the Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Needy Owners (the Grant Scheme), implemented by the Urban Renewal Authority with a total of $3 billion allocated by the Government over time, mainly provides subsidies for owner-occupiers who are elderly persons in need (i.e. elderly persons aged 60 or above who meet the asset and income limits) to maintain their property units and conduct interior alterations, thereby improving building safety and the living environment. So far, commitments of approximately $1.7 billion has been approved under the Grant Scheme, with over 90 per cent of the applicants being elderly persons aged 60 or above. Each elderly owner-occupier is eligible for a maximum subsidy of $80,000, which can be used for interior alterations to make homes age-friendly, such as installation of slip-resistance floor tiles in bathrooms, grab bars, and shower seats, thereby creating a safer and more comfortable home environment. As the flats sold under HOS are no different from general private properties and are under private ownership, HOS flat owners are also eligible to apply for the abovesaid Grant Scheme.
Moreover, frail elderly persons assessed as suitable for receiving residential or community care services may apply to the Social Welfare Department for Home Care Services for Frail Elderly Persons. Alternatively, they may receive subsidised home care services through the "Community Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly". As for elderly persons assessed to be at the state of mild or higher level of impairment, they may apply for "Home Support Services". The services of the above-mentioned schemes provide elderly people with home environment risk assessment and modification suggestions.
Ends/Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Issued at HKT 15:55
Issued at HKT 15:55
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