50% of senior citizens wish to live in the forthcoming Residence for Elderly

Approximately 50% of the aged population surveyed by the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) have said that they wish to move from their current apartment buildings into the new Residence for Elderly, a residential building that the government aims to build by 2024, the IAS director, Hon Wai, announced yesterday at the Legislative Assembly (AL).
Hon was at the AL, where the government was expected to reply to a series of inquiries from the lawmakers on several topics.
Adding to a reply to an inquiry to the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário, Hon said that, according to a survey which interviewed 549 senior citizens who fulfill the eligibility criteria to apply for such a housing program, “over 50% of them said they wish to request a residence to live there.”
According to the reply provided by the government officials on the topic, a total of 1,800 housing units will be built for such a purpose on the land plot P of Areia Preta, where around 2,800 senior citizens can be housed.
The government survey indicated that around half of the respondents intending to apply will do so as single applicants, while the other half will be applying to live as couples.
This building will be part of a larger government-run development, which includes the construction of other public housing buildings, namely those for exchange on urban renewal projects, which will also be available for acquisition for some of the eligible buyers of the former Pearl Horizon development, which was planned to occupy the same land plot.

‘Sandwich class’ housing waiting for final report
At the same assembly, lawmaker Sulu Sou raised questions regarding the status of the new type of housing dedicated to the so-called “sandwich class,” that is, residents that are not eligible to apply for economic housing but do not have an income that can afford a housing unit on the private market.
According to the reply from the government, the entities in charge of the public consultation process held between October and December last year are currently compiling all the information and opinions received to produce the final report, which will soon be made public.
According to the government official, “Over 300 people have participated in the 10 sessions held (3 to general public and 7 to the different sectors). The government has collected over 28,608 pieces of opinion, that are now being gathered into around 2,300 opinions that will be included in the final report.”
The government noted that, according to the preliminary results, some “90% of the population is in favor of this model” and “most of the opinions collected are regarding the income ceiling” that would allow residents to be eligible for this type of public housing.
Also in focus was the price for the acquisition of the units. According to the government, 80% of opinions believe that the main criteria to define the price should be based on the market price according to the area of the city in which the unit is located.