Application

Applicants must be 60 years old or above, have resided in Hong Kong for 7 years or more, and hold a valid Hong Kong Identity Card. They must also possess Hong Kong residency rights or have residency not subject to any conditions of stay (except those concerning the length of stay). The Scheme only accepts applications from singleton with self-care ability and couple/non-couple doubleton which at least one of them has self-care ability.

Singleton means anyone who is single, divorced, or widowed, or any married person whose spouse does not have the right to land in Hong Kong cannot be included in the application form.

The applicant and joint applicant are joint tenants.  There is no restriction on the relationship between the applicants and joint applicants of couple/non-couple doubletons, e.g.spouses, relatives, or friends. However, a married applicants make a joint application with his/her spouse unless a death certificate of the spouse; or supporting documents which prove that his/her spouse requires long stay in nursing home or hospital; or a valid certification of divorce are produced.

The applicant and the joint applicant must be legally married and hold Hong Kong Permanent Resident Identity Cards. The applicant must be at least 60 years old, and the joint applicant must be at least 50 years old. If the joint applicant is aged between 50 and 59, he/she will only be permitted to reside in the unit as a “permitted occupier” and must vacate the unit when a tenant terminates the tenancy or passes away.

If the joint applicant is non-spouse, both the applicant and the joint applicant must be Hong Kong Permanent Residents and aged 60 or above, jointly renting the unit under a joint tenancy arrangement.

The Scheme is based on a user-pays principle. We must therefore ensure our tenants have the financial means to lead an independent life and meet any future medical expenses that might arise should their physical condition deteriorate.

Income including but not limited to pension, salaries from the current employment, and the gross income derived from properties, vehicles and businesses owned by the applicant.

Assets including but not limited to properties, land, company stocks and shares, vehicles, transferable vehicle registration licences, bank deposits, unit trust funds, insurance policies, annuity plans, assets of any self-owned businesses and any other assets held in any other forms by the applicant in Mainland China, Hong Kong and overseas.

The financial ability of applicants within the scope (Total income and assets):

• If the applicant and/or joint applicant's personal financial fail to meet the specified minimum limit, they should have qualified guarantor(s) with required income to undertake a Deed of Undertaking and Indemnity.  Please refer to items 2.13-2.15 of the Senior Citizen Residences Scheme application leaflet for the details.

No. The value of these properties or lands in Mainland China, Hong Kong and overseas and any income derived therefrom will be included in assessing the total assets.

Tenants should terminate their housing benefits within 6 months upon commencement of the lease under the Scheme in accordance with the prevailing policy of HA, HKHS or URA. Ways to cease the housing benefits include: 

• Selling subsidised flat;

• Paying all due premium; 

• Repaying all outstanding loans under relevant subsidised housing schemes. 

The value of sold property (after deduction of outstanding mortgage) will be counted as assets, and for the value of subsidised flat without disposal will also be counted as assets.

Eligibility Criteria

• These tenants/ licencees and their spouses are required to give notices to respective management office of housing estate upon commencement of the lease under the Scheme to terminate the tenancy/ licence and surrender their units within 60 days to HA or 2 months to HKHS or URA. 

• Tenants and joint tenants have any tenancies/ licences of any public housing estates/ rental estates / units/ interim housing units of the HA, HKHS or URA, or on the registers of domestic units purchased under any subsidised housing projects/ schemes must contact the management offices of the housing estates/management office, they are now residing at to have their names deleted from the registers/ records within 60 days (HA) or 2 months (HKHS or URA) upon commencement of the lease under the Scheme.

   

Ineligibility Criteria

• Tenants/Owners of units allocated or purchased under HA’s Elderly Priority Schemes or subject to Housing Policy who cannot have their names deleted from the records of subsidised housing schemes.

• Applicants and/ or joint applicants (including any persons who have yet to be the spouses of the compensation recipients at the time of compensation) who have been granted compensation by the Government based on the Home Ownership Scheme price level due to the clearance of the Kowloon Walled City and who have opted to make self-arrangement for accommodation.

• Applicants and/ or joint applicants who are affected by the clearance/ redevelopment projects and who had opted to receive cash allowance/ ex-gratia payment granted by HA/ HKHS/ URA/ Lands Department/ other authorities in lieu of rehousing are ineligible to apply for the Scheme within two years/ the specified dates after the date of receipt of the allowance/ ex-gratia payment.

For further details, please refer to items 2.17 and 2.18 of the Senior Citizen Residences Scheme application leaflet or call us at 2839 7111 / 2894 3222 for enquiries.
 

Elderly Priority Schemes including but not limited to housing benefits offered by the Harmonious Families Priority Scheme and Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members.

Yes. Except for the ex-owners who purchased the units under HA’s Elderly Priority Schemes.