Housing aspirations of the low-income elderly in public rental housing and possible policy implications

Abstract

Population ageing is an inevitable global trend. Hong Kong is also facing a significant demographic shift due to the low fertility rate and rising life expectancy. It is estimated that the number of older people aged 65 or above in Hong Kong will reach 2.74 million in 2046, accounting for nearly 36% of the total population of Hong Kong. Housing is always crucial in enhancing the social stability of a city by strengthening citizens’ sense of belonging. Yet, limited supply of developable lands makes housing in Hong Kong extremely unaffordable. Majority of low-income elderly in Hong Kong are residing in the Public Rental Housing (PRH) estates due to the serious shortage of affordable housing, and the number of singleton elderly households living in PRH keeps increasing. As the public housing system in Hong Kong is already overburdened with a long waiting list, various elderly related housing policies have been implemented by the government to enhance the rational use of precious housing resources. However, the outcome is far from satisfactory. Therefore, it is necessary to review the effectiveness of the elderly policies and consider breakthrough measures by understanding the real needs and aspirations of the low-income elderly. This study has explored current living situations of the low-income elderly in PRH estates, studied elderly people’s housing needs and aspirations, and investigated the impacts brought by the social and cultural changes as well as evolving housing aspirations of the older people. Both quantitative (i.e. face-to-face questionnaire survey) and qualitative (i.e. face-to-face interview) survey are adopted in this research to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the housing issues of low-income elderly in PRH. Some of the major findings include: i) majority of the elderly prefer to stay in a community they are familiar with and desire to age in place, ii) an increasing number of elderly prefer independent living, value autonomy and privacy, iii) traditional Chinese culture of filial piety is fading, adult children are no longer the main caregivers of their elder parents in many families, iv) in general, the living environment and facilities of PRH estates can meet basic environmental needs of elderly tenants, while the community supports for psychological needs of the elderly are still insufficient, and v) social and cultural changes, inadequate promotion, unattractive incentives, and undesired design (HSC) are the main reasons for the ineffectiveness of some elderly schemes. While addressing the housing needs and aspirations of the elderly, the Hong Kong government should put in more efforts to minimize the negative impact of the population ageing and optimize the utilization of limited housing resources. Besides, it is also necessary to promptly develop a more comprehensive policy framework for the increasing ageing population in order to get well prepared for more challenges brought by population ageing in the near future.