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Third, due to difficulties that suppliers have in obtaining user in statutory compliance with the Mandatory Building Inspection
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feedback as indicated in Section 1.1—particularly from end-users Scheme and Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme (HK Building
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in the community—we recommend that the DHC Gerontech Rehabilitation Facilitation Services Ltd. Building Maintenance
Corner to also operate as a “product testing hub” to obtain user Grant Scheme, 2021). Similarly, the Building Maintenance Grant
feedback from visitors. Scheme for Needy Owners offers individuals a maximum grant of Infrastructure
HKD 80,000 for the costs of inspections, repairs, and maintenance
3.2 Gerontech-friendly home modification of their self-occupied properties to enhance building safety
and alleviate building dilapidation (HK Building Rehabilitation
It is necessary to provide elderly and PwD with a safe and Facilitation Services Ltd. Mandatory Building Inspection Subsidy
accessible living environment to prevent risk of fall and facilitate Scheme, 2021). In June 2020, the Development Bureau injected
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independent living. There are currently several initiatives that HKD 2 billion into the Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for
help elderly and PwD living in public housing to receive basic Needy Owners (URA, 2020).
home modification. For example, the Housing Authority provides
home modification works for elderly and disabled tenants (Housing In Macao and mainland China, home modification schemes for
Authority, 2018; 2021); the Housing Department funds and elderly are not differentiated based on whether they live in public
completes the requisite renovation works within two to five weeks versus private housing. The Social Welfare Bureau of the Macao
(The Government of Hong Kong SAR Press Releases, 2019, May SAR Government runs a scheme that enhances bathroom safety
15). The Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) also has an Ageing- by providing a free bath chair, bathmat, and handrail to all residents
in-Place scheme, which enables elderly tenants in all 20 HKHS above age 60 (Social Welfare Bureau, 2017). In mainland China,
rental estates to receive free home environment assessment and the Government runs a scheme to subsidise the cost of elderly-
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modification (HKHS Ageing-in-Place Scheme, 2021). friendly home renovation, which includes a recommended list of
seven basic renovation packages and 23 advanced options for
Unfortunately, similar schemes do not exist for elderly and PwD more frail elderly, as illustrated in Table 6 (中国政府网, 2020).
living in private housing. Existing renovation schemes for private Different cities offer different maximum renovation budgets:
housing, primarily implemented by the Urban Renewal Authority Shenzhen’s maximum is RMB 10,000, Hangzhou’s maximum is
(URA), focus on the building safety of older buildings rather than RMB 6,000, Beijing’s maximum is RMB 5,000, and Shanghai’s
home safety of older persons. For example, the Mandatory Building maximum is RMB 3,000 (动脉网-未来医疗服务平台, 2020; China
Inspection Subsidy Scheme subsidises the cost of a Registered News, 2021).
Inspector to determine whether a private or residential building is

51 From April 2018 to March 2019, the scheme carried out 820 home modification assessments (HKHS Ageing-in-Place Scheme, 2021).
52 Hong Kong Building Rehabilitation Facilitation Services Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary company of URA.
53 In the 2008-09 Budget, the Financial Secretary earmarked HKD 1 billion to launch the “Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Elderly Owners” to provide financial assistance for
elderly owner-occupiers to repair and maintain buildings and improve building safety (HKHS, 2014). In July 2020, the “Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Elderly Owners”
administered by HKHS was replaced with the “Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Needy Owners”, currently implemented by the URA (HKHS, n.d.).
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