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Concrete Analysis | Shortage of accommodation for Hong Kong’s elderly citizens could be solved by government incentives for private developers
- The government should consider new incentives to encourage developers to build more elderly-friendly flats within private residential projects
- Private developers should explore opportunities in districts with the most acute shortages, such as Kwun Tong, Sai Kung and Sha Tin
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The rapid spread of Covid-19 through residential care homes during Hong Kong’s fifth wave highlighted the less than optimal conditions in which many elderly people were living.
Even before the pandemic, there were challenges in the provision of accommodation for elderly people, with the city facing both a shortage of residential places and a lack of premises that catered to residents’ needs.
We need to rethink the development of elderly homes. The situation will drive more people to look for higher-quality accommodation for the elderly, including purpose-built flats that would enable families to remain more involved in the care of their ageing relatives.
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The number of people in Hong Kong aged 65 or over is projected to soar from more than 1.5 million in 2022 to 2.3 million by 2032 – a 46.3 per cent increase, according to the Census and Statistics Department. From 2039 onwards, the elderly population is then expected to remain at more than 2.5 million for at least 30 years.
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This rapid increase in the elderly population comes at a time when the city is already facing a shortfall in residential care homes for the elderly (RCHE), particularly in the districts of Kwun Tong, Sai Kung and Wong Tai Sin, where there is a higher concentration of elderly people, but a relatively low supply of places in care homes.
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