Elderly people affected by redevelopment projects could be resettled in the same district in future under a proposal made by the Urban Renewal Authority to retain local community networks.
The authority's chairman, Barry Cheung Chun-yuen, revealed the new measure in an interview with the South China Morning Post after finalising the authority's proposal for the new urban renewal strategy.
He said the measure had become feasible because future redevelopments would be conducted on a district-based approach, giving the authority more flexibility.
'It can't be done today as existing redevelopment projects are confined to specific sites. The degree of freedom is much greater when renewal projects are planned for the whole district,' he said.
Under the authority's proposal, affected residents and owners will be given a say in where to redevelop, revitalise, rehabilitate and preserve in their own districts. The authority can identify government sites, for example, to build rehousing blocks accommodating affected old people.
'Our senior citizens will no longer be anxious about losing their friends and connected networks when redevelopment starts,' Cheung said. People rehoused would have to pay for the flat but the authority had yet to work out the compensation scheme.
