The Housing Authority will convert the elderly housing surplus to normal public rental housing flats or other uses to address the vacancy problem.

The authority's Subsidised Housing Committee Chairman Michael Choi said the move will put valuable resources to fuller use, benefitting more housing applicants.

Housing for Senior Citizen flats are a hostel type of Public Rental Housing with a 24-hour warden service but shared toilet and kitchen facilities. Since the late 1990s, the overall vacancy rate of this accommodation has been high due to Public Rental Housing applicants preference for self-contained flats.

Although a decision was made in November 2000 to stop further production of these facilities, the overall vacancy rate has stayed high at 15%.

Priority consideration

"There is a need to draw up a strategic plan to address the diminishing demand for this hostel type of accommodation, but we must also bear in mind that sufficient stock will be retained to ensure that demand for such [hostel-type facilities] will be adequately met," Mr Choi said.

In identifying suitable premises for conversion, priority consideration will be given to:

* elderly flats with a higher vacancy rate of more than 30% or 50%, depending on the type of design;

* elderly flat design (constructed by partitioning a normal public rental flat into smaller units) with another in a neighbouring block to trim down overall vacancies in the same estate;

* the design of the elderly flats; and,

* the age profile of the tenants, and to plan a conversion so more than half of residents aged 70 or above can have access to self-contained public rental flats earlier.

Removal allowance

"As an incentive, a Domestic Removal Allowance will be granted to encourage voluntary joining of the relocation programme," Mr Choi said, adding that tenants affected will be arranged accommodation in their preferred locality if resources permit.

Mr Choi said co-ordination and co-operation with the Social Welfare Department and other elderly service agencies will be lined up to render assistance and the best service possible to the affected elderly residents.