"Ageing in place" : a study to evaluate the efficiency of the elderly housing policies in Hong Kong

Abstract

The ageing population is a global social problem, affecting not only Hong Kong but many other countries. Like other developed countries, the increasing ageing population and the low fertility rate are the social trends in Hong Kong. The life expectancy of Hong Kong citizens, irrespective of gender, has been improving in recent years, thanks to the development of the healthcare system in Hong Kong and the improvement of Hong Kong citizen’s living quality. The elderly dependency ratio is forecasted to keep rising in the coming years. There are various reasons for the ageing population, e.g., better medical service, better education level, and changing social habits. The ageing population is causing a challenge to the society of Hong Kong and will give rise to different social problems, including medical problems and housing problems. Housing plays an integral role in the living quality of Hong Kong, where the housing needs have been rather volatile in the past years. In recent years, HKSAR Government has paid more attention to the living quality of the elderly, causing elderly housing to become a prominent part of the housing policies in Hong Kong. In the past decades, the HKSAR government has focused on providing sufficient housing to elderly citizens of low income. It has assisted them in being allocated to the public rental housing units faster to improve the living environment of elderly citizens. But as our society is becoming more prosperous in recent years, accommodation alone may not be sufficient to satisfy the increasing aspiration of the Hong Kong citizens, especially the elderly citizens in the middle-income or high-income group. In this study, the elderly housing issues are studied, and the effectiveness of elderly housing policies is evaluated. Starting from the 1990s, the HKSAR government has been advocating the concept of ageing in place and putting ageing in place as one of the core concepts in the elderly housing policies. By collecting and analyzing secondary data and primary data, the effectiveness of elderly housing policies of Hong Kong is examined to discuss whether they meet the demands and housing needs of the elderly with the principle of ageing in place. Moreover, recommendations are provided for improvement to facilitate better elderly housing policies in Hong Kong. It helps Hong Kong face and better prepare for the demographic challenge caused by the ageing population in the coming future.