6.
At present 11.3% of our population are aged over
60 and this proportion is expected to grow to 13.4% by 1994.
Our primary aim is to provide services that will enable
elderly people to retain their self-respect and to remain in
the community for as long as possible. The prime need is
of course financial; relatively few elderly people in Hong
Kong have a regular income once they have retired and one of
the main tasks of our social security system is to ensure that
such people have sufficient income to maintain a decent
standard of living. 63% of all recipients of public
assistance (over 37,000 people) are over 60 years of age. A
further 211,000 people receive the non-means tested Old Age
Allowance; this represents 84% of all those aged 70 or over.
7.
Turning to the more specific housing needs of the
elderly I think it is important to make the point that it is
wrong to regard all elderly people as welfare cases; for a
large proportion all that is required is decent accommodation
at a price they can afford.
8.
There are several housing options available to
elderly people who are able to take care of themselves. Three
elderly people, who need not be related, may jointly apply for
allocation of a shared flat in public housing estates. The
Housing Authority has set aside a quota of 800 flats this year
for this purpose but this number may be increased in order to
satisfy the declared policy of re-housing the elderly within
two years of application. In addition, for those who have
particular housing need because of sickness, disability or
family problems, a quota of 800 flats has been set aside for
/allocation....