New renovation body may offer bigger subsidies for ageing Hong Kong districts

Hong Kong’s planned renovation monitoring body will consider larger subsidies for homeowners of ageing buildings in older districts or with high elderly populations who use its supervision services for major repairs, the finance chief has said.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Saturday that the Building Maintenance Support and Services Council, set up to curb malpractice in the industry after the Tai Po fire report, would be non-profit but would have to recover its costs, since owners mainly bear responsibility for maintaining private residential property.

He said service charges would depend on factors such as the scope of the work, with fees estimated at several thousand Hong Kong dollars per household, but that authorities would subsidise those in need.