New lease of life as elderly needs hit home

Around 85 percent of the 312 flats at Blissful Place, a new project under the Housing Society's senior citizen residences scheme, have been rented out for life, with the lump sum entrance contribution being between HK$1.2 million and HK$2.65 million.

The scheme provides residential units for middle-income people aged 60 or above under a "lease-for-life" arrangement with age-friendly designs, coupled with care services and diversified social activities.

General manager in charge of sales and marketing, Peter Or Oi-bon, said yesterday all 168 one-bedroom flats have been rented out and there are only 52 studios left.

"The flats have been handed to tenants and they can move in at any time, while applicants on the waiting list can come visit the 52 available flats, the sky garden and the clubhouse starting today," Or said.

Applicants only need to apply once, and they will be in line for other future residential projects under the scheme.

"We also implemented the 'lease-for-life' arrangement whereby the elderly only need to pay the entry contribution before they can live there for life," Or said, adding that there are around 400 in the queue at the moment.

Regarding future developments, Or said there are three more projects in the pipeline in Fan Ling, Kwun Tong and Shau Kei Wan, which will provide around 1,100 flats.

The Fan Ling project will be rolled out from late next year to early 2025, while construction on the other two will only be completed after 2030, according to Or.

Asked whether he was worried whether the quantity of flats was sufficient to satisfy demand, he said: "We are aware of the demand from elderly, but developing [a housing project] takes time."

Blissful Place, the third project under the scheme, is in Lee Kung Street in Hung Hom.

Of its 312 flats, the 168 one-bedroom units have sellable areas ranging from 375 to 403 square feet, while the remaining 144 are studio flats, with sellable areas of 235 to 256 square feet.

The 29-story building has 24 residential floors with 13 flats on each story, while the other five floors house a sky garden, a clubhouse and a residential care home.

Applicants have to be aged 60 or above, lived here for over seven years and have a Hong Kong identity card and right of abode.

The scheme accepts applications all year round.