The Financial Secretary of the Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region announced in the 2008-09
Budget that $1 billion is earmarked for launching the "Building
Maintenance Grant Scheme for Elderly Owners" ("the
Scheme") and the Hong Kong Housing Society ("the
Housing Society") is appointed to administer the Scheme.
The Scheme provides financial assistance to elderly owner-occupiers
to repair and maintain their buildings and improve building
safety. A maximum grant of HK$40,000 is available for each
eligible elderly owner-occupier within a period of five
years. The grant can also be used to repay the outstanding
loan(s) with the Buildings Department, the Urban Renewal
Authority or the Housing Society in relation to building
maintenance.
The Housing Society, an independent
not-for-profit organization, is responsible for promoting
the Scheme, processing and approving applications and release
of grant to eligible elderly owner-occupiers.
Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Elderly Owners (the Scheme)
1.
Purpose of the Scheme
To provide financial assistance
to elderly owner-occupiers to repair and maintain their
self-occupied buildings and to upkeep building safety.
2.
Scope of the Grant
The scope of works covers building safety related maintenance works in a residential flat and/or in building common areas:-
2.1
improvement of
structural aspects of buildings, e.g. repair to loose,
cracked, spalled or otherwise defective concrete;
2.2
improvement of safety of external
elevations of buildings, e.g. repair to defective rendering
and mosaic tiles;
2.3
repair or replacement of defective
windows;
2.4
improvement of fire safety
of buildings, e.g. means of escape, means of access
for fire fighting and rescue and fire resisting construction;
2.5
provision of, improvement
to and maintenance of, fire service installations and
equipment of buildings;
2.6
removal of unauthorized building
works and illegal rooftop structures;
2.7
improvement of building and
sanitary services, e.g. repairing, maintaining and replacing
lifts, fire services installations and equipment, electrical
wiring, gas risers, replacing defective soil, waste,
rainwater, water supply and vent pipes and underground
drainage;
2.8
repair of water-proofing membranes
at rooftops and flat roofs and works to alleviate water
seepage problem;
2.9
maintenance or improvement
works for slopes and retaining walls;
2.10
improvement of the fire and
building safety of cubicles;
2.11
maintenance works
in association with the above works, including investigation
works and professional services; and
2.12
any incidental
or consequential works relating to items 2.1 to 2.11
above e.g. touch-up works arising from repair or remedial
works.
Repay applicant's outstanding
loan(s) with the Buildings Department, the Urban Renewal
Authority or the Housing Society in relation to building
maintenance, and/or de-register the concerned legal charge/charging
order.
3.
Eligibility Criteria
3.1
Applicant should
be a Hong Kong Identity Card holder, aged 60 or above;
3.2
Applicant is the owner of
a residential flat in a domestic building or a composite
building;
3.3
Applicant and his/her spouse (if
married) are residing in the property;
3.4
Comply with the following
income and asset limits (or receiving Comprehensive
Social Security Assistance (CSSA) or Normal Old Age
Allowance (NOAA)):-
Monthly income
limit (Note 1)(HK$)
Asset limit (Note
2)(HK$)
Singleton
$6,360
$342,000
Couple
$9,940
$516,000
(Note 1) Calculation
of income limit: monthly contribution to Mandatory Provident
Fund,
Disability Allowance, Old Age Allowance and mortgage
repayment of the self-
occupied property are not counted as
income.
(Note
2) Calculation of asset limit: the property in which
the applicant resides and to
which the grant relates is not
counted.
4.
Application Procedures
4.1
Application forms can be
obtained at locations below or downloaded from the following
websites: -
Organization
Hong Kong
Housing Society
Address
(1) Applications Section–G/F, Dragon Centre, 23 Wun Sha Street, Tai Hang, Hong
Kong
Completed
application forms can be submitted by hand to the
Housing Society Applications Section or any Property
Management Advisory Centre. Application form can also
be sent by mail (specifying on envelope "Building
Maintenance Grant Scheme for Elderly Owners")
to the Housing Society Applications Section, GPO Box
No. 13622 or by facsimile no. 2504 0867.
4.3
For
application of grants for repair works in a residential
flat, application forms should be submitted prior
to commencement of the works.
4.4
For application of grants
for repair works in building common areas, application
forms should be submitted prior to the date of Practical
Completion Certificate for the completion of the
works.
4.5
Competent and registered contractor(s) should be employed for related works, which copies of license and completion certificate as required by related legislation(s) should be submitted upon completion of work. Grant for related work items will not be released if the above mentioned documents are not submitted.
Enquiry Hotline: 2839 7166
/ 2894 3222
5.
Amount of Grant
5.1
The ceiling is
capped at HK$40,000 for each grant application.
Each eligible applicant and his/her spouse (if
married) will be eligible
for a maximum grant
of $40,000 within a period of 5 years.
Each residential flat will be eligible for
a maximum grant of $40,000
within a period of 5 years.
5.2
The amount of grant will be
calculated in proportion to the share of ownership of
the flat owned by the applicant and his/her spouse (if
married).
5.3
The grant should be firstly
used to repay existing loan(s) already approved and
released by the Buildings Department, the Urban Renewal
Authority or the Housing Society in relation to building
maintenance if the applicant has such loan(s).
5.4
If the grant is used to repay
applicant's outstanding loan(s) with the Buildings Department,
the Urban Renewal Authority or the Housing Society in
relation to building maintenance, the outstanding loan
amount will be calculated as at the date of receipt
of application for the grant (as evidenced by the postmark).
5.5
Grant will not be granted
to any bankrupted persons (except those who can prove
that their bankruptcy orders have been discharged).
