The Housing Authority has endorsed an ex-gratia scheme to help elderly property owner-occupiers in private dilapidated buildings move. The scheme will take immediate effect and offer them housing from the authority or the Housing Society on a licence basis.

Authority Subsidised Housing Committee Chairman Ng Shui-lai said the arrangement is a transitional one on the Social Welfare Department's recommendation under Compassionate Rehousing consideration.

Facing various daily living problems, some elderly residents of dilapidated buildings may not be able to dispose of their property to qualify for the application of public rental housing or to move to other suitable accommodation expeditiously.

The scheme allows them time to tackle these problems, Mr Ng said, adding that the licence fee to be charged will be equivalent to the normal rent level of Housing for Senior Citizens.

A signed declaration required

Mr Ng said: "During this period, they can choose to dispose of their property or handle other related matters so they can subsequently meet the eligibility criteria for applying for public rental housing. However, they are required to submit a signed declaration form on their incomes and assets annually."

Mr Ng said it is necessary to maintain the Domestic Property Test for all public rental housing applicants including the Elderly Property Owner-Occupiers as the public rental housing programme was targeted for low-income non-property-owning families.

"We should continue to accord priority to resolve the housing need of the 90,000 applicants on the waiting list including 5,200 elderly applicants without property."