XN000022-1985-07-04 — Page 13

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THURSDAY, JULY -, 1985

+IN FUTURE, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT WOULD TAKE OVER THE RUNNING OF THE HOSTEL TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION NOW NORMALLY PROVIDED ON HOUSING ESTATES, A HOUSING SPOKESMAN SAID.

IN ADDITION, HE SAID A NEW TYPE OF SHELTERED HOUSING WOULD BE BUILT TO MEET THE SHORTFALL OF HOUSING FOR ELDERLY.

+IN THIS WAY A VARIETY OF TYPES OF HOUSING, RANGING FROM SINGLE AND SHARED UNITS TO SHELTERED HOUSING AND HOSTELS, WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR LETTING TO ELDERLY PERSONS ACCORDING TO THEIR CHOICE.

+THE SCALE OF PROVISION WOULD BE ONE GROUP OF SHELTERED HOUSING IN A NEW ESTATE WITH MORE THAN 3 000 FLATS.

+EACH GROUP WOULD HAVE A CAPACITY FOR ABOUT 150 ELDERLY PERSONS, WITH A COMMUNAL RECREATION ROOM.+

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT AS ELDERLY PERSONS LIVING IN SHELTERED HOUSING WOULD GENERALLY BE CAPABLE OF LOOKING AFTER THEMSELVES ONLY MINIMUN MANAGEMENT CARE WOULD BE PROVIDED, SUCH AS A PANIC ALARM SYSTEM CONNECTED TO A WARDEN.

HE SAID THE ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR SHELTERED HOUSING WOULD BE THE SAME AS FOR ELDERLY PERSONS APPLYING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING,

+CONSIDERATION WILL ALSO BE GIVEN TO CREATE SUCH SHELTERED HOUSING ON EXISTING ESTATES IF SUITABLE ACCOMMODATION WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE.+

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE PROVISION OF SHELTERED HOUSING WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO THE 1 000 SHARED FLATS AND 300 SINGLE-PERSON HOUSING UNITS NOW ALREADY MADE AVAILABLE FOR HOUSING THE ELDERLY EACH YEAR.

+THE SCALE OF THESE PROVISIONS WILL BE REVISED IN THE LIGHT OF THE OVERALL REVIEW ON SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY TO BE CARRIED OUT BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.+

THE SPOKESMAN EMPHASISED THAT IT WAS NOT THE INTENTION THAT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT WOULD TAKE OVER THE HOSTELS AND HOMES FOR THE ELDERLY AT PRESENT RUN BY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IN EXISTING ESTATES.

+THESE HOSTELS AND HOMES WILL CONTINUE TO BE OPERATED BY THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WHICH ARE PROVIDING VERY GOOD SERVICE TO OUR SENIOR CITIZENS.+

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