An evaluation study on the elderly housing initiative in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) of the Hong Kong Government launched the Senior Citizen Residence Scheme (SEN) in 2001 to provide housing units for the middle-class elders aged 60 and above, who have pre-set limits of asset and guaranteed income (Hong Kong Housing Society, n.d.). As a result, two public estates came into operation one year after in 2002. At present, a total of about 800 elders live in these two estates. The present study is under the auspices of the HKHS to evaluate the satisfaction of the residents in the two estates, to make recommendations on the improvement of the residence services and the living conditions in the two estates, and to make recommendations on future development of the SEN project. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were adopted in the present study. First of all, a total of seven focus-group sessions, within each having 8-10 elders led by an experienced facilitator, were conducted to collect information on residents’ satisfaction on their living environment and the provision rendered in the housing estates. The members of the focus group consisted of males and females, younger and older elderly persons, and were selected from the healthy and active residents in the two housing estates. Secondly, three independent observers were appointed to sit in the focus-group discussion and daily routine activities and meetings taken part by the residents of the housing estates. The observers submitted their observation reports of residents’ views on their living environment and the provision rendered in the housing estates as well as the interaction in their communication. Thirdly, an accessible sample was drawn from all target residents through a face-to-face questionnaire survey. Since some residents were either reluctant to be interviewed or having difficulties to answer questions due to poor health, all other residents were interviewed by trained staff. The findings of the study are as follows: 1. In general, the majority of the residents living in the two Housing Estates are satisfied with the management, the facilities and the services provided. 2. There are differences in the domains of satisfaction between the residents in the two Housing Estates. Specifically, the Cheerful Court (one of the two Housing Estates) residents are more satisfied with their living environment whereas the Jolly Place (another one of the two Housing Estates) residents are happier with the basic optional services provided for them. 3. Improvement on the particulars of the facilities and services provided in the two Housing Estates, as shown in the analysis results, should be made in order to raise the satisfaction level of the residents