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Hong Kong Housing Society Annual Report 2016
12
CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT
主席的話
Care for an Ageing Population
The Housing Society has always been guided by a strong social
mission of providing housing and related services to the people of
Hong Kong. In the early decades of our history, we started to provide
subsidised rental housing for low-income families. Then, in the
mid-70s, we embarked on the territory’s first urban renewal projects,
called the Urban Improvement Scheme, followed by our Flat-For-Sale
Scheme in the 1980s and Sandwich Class Housing Scheme for the
middle-income group in the 1990s.
Although the provision of subsidised housing continues to be a core
part of our business, today we have become increasingly focused on
the housing and service needs of the elderly. The need for such a
change has become more apparent with the greying of our population.
According to the Census and Statistics Department, 22.3% of our
population of 7.32 million were of the age of 60 or above at the end
of 2015 as compared with 19.5% just four years before. Yet during
this period, little has been done in the private sector to address the
special housing needs of the elderly.
Within our own rental estates, many of our tenants have been with
us for a long time and are now at an advanced age. They have
special needs for their health, safety and well-being that have to
be addressed.
Our AIP scheme, launched in 2013, is our approach to caring for the
elderly tenants so that they can live comfortably and safely in their
own homes. Through this scheme, we improve the accessibility of their
flats and provide services that meet their healthcare and social needs.
Introduced on a trial basis in 2012 at Cho Yiu Chuen, the AIP scheme
has since been extended to 15 of our rental estates, and will by the
end of 2016/17 cover all the 20 estates across our portfolio.
In addition to modifying or remodelling homes, our social workers
and occupational therapists look after any physical, psychological
and health problems our elderly tenants might have. This is particularly
important as many elderly people are at risk of social seclusion
and becoming ‘invisible’ members of the community. To help them
reintegrate into the community, we have partnered with local
volunteers to organise social activities that bring the elderly out
of their homes.
關顧老化人口
房協一直秉承強烈的社會使命，為香港
市民提供房屋及相關的服務。早期，房協
為低收入家庭提供資助出租房屋。到了
七十年代中期，我們展開本港首個市區
重建項目，名為「市區改善計劃」，其後
還有八十年代的「住宅發售計劃」及於九十
年代為中等收入人士而設的「夾心階層住屋
計劃」。
雖然我們仍以提供資助房屋為核心業務，
但因應人口日趨老化，房協越來越重視
長者房屋及相關服務的需要。據政府統
計處，於二零一五年，
732
萬人口當中有
百分之二十二點三為六十歲或以上，而
四年前只有百分之十九點五。然而，在這
期間私人市場針對長者的特別房屋需要
所作不多。
在房協的出租屋邨內，很多居民已租住
多年，如今年事已高，身心健康及安全的
特別需要都必須關注。
房協於二零一三年推出「樂得耆所」居家
安老計劃，以關懷長者住戶為目標，使他
們享有安全和舒適的居所。透過這項
計劃，我們為長者改善單位的無障礙
環境，並提供各種服務，配合他們的健康
及社交需要。「樂得耆所」於二零一二年在
祖堯邨試行，現已擴展到房協轄下十五個
出租屋邨，至二零一六╱一七年度完結時
將覆蓋我們所有二十個屋邨。
除了改裝單位外，房協的社工及職業治療
師亦關注長者住戶的生理、心理及健康
狀況，尤其很多長者出現與社會隔離的
傾向，繼而成為「隱閉長者」，令這計劃
更形重要。為使他們重投社區，我們夥拍
地區義工組織社交活動，帶領長者走出
居所。