URA and HKHS: New arrangement for building rehabilitation service in Kowloon, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) and the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) today (Wednesday) announced a new arrangement for the Integrated Building Maintenance Assistance Scheme (IBMAS) in Kowloon, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan. Beginning from 1 April 2013, the URA will be responsible for receiving and processing all new IBMAS applications in these areas while the HKHS will continue to follow through the applications already received in these areas prior to that date.
The IBMAS has amalgamated all assistance schemes provided by both the URA and HKHS into a single one-stop service since 1 April 2011. As at the end of 2012, the two organisations have assisted about 570 buildings (24,000 units) plus 1,630 individual owners under IBMAS.
The new arrangement announced today has been worked out in response to the prevailing Urban Renewal Strategy (URS) which stated that rehabilitation is one of the URA's two core businesses. The URA will gradually extend its rehabilitation service boundary to cover the whole of Hong Kong. The rehabilitation role of HKHS is progressively transferred to URA, first with Kowloon areas in 2013, and then the whole territory in 2015.
Under this arrangement, the URA's extended rehabilitation service boundary for IBMAS in Kowloon is going to cover all areas within the District Council boundaries of Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon City, Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po, Yau Tsim Mong, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan. At the same time, the Property Management Advisory Centres (PMAC) of HKHS in Kowloon and Tsuen Wan will cease to receive and process any new IBMAS applications. However, the Mandatory Building Inspection Subsidy Scheme in these areas and Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Elderly Owners in the whole territory, which are both under HKHS's existing responsibilities, will not be affected by the new arrangement.
Besides, the PMAC of HKHS in Yau Tsim Mong will continue its operations to serve the public whereas the PMACs in Kowloon and Tsuen Wan will solely be retained for internal use as office accommodation.
The Urban Renewal Resource Centre (URRC) of the URA located at No. 6 Fuk Tsun Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon will continue to provide building rehabilitation information and assistance in applying for various schemes under IBMAS to owners within URA's service areas. To reach out to owners in local community, the URA has also partnered with a number of non-government organisations in Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok, Tai Kok Tsui, Sham Shui Po, Ma Tau Kok and Hung Hom to promote IBMAS and offer building rehabilitation supporting services to owners.
Members of the public who wish to know more about the extended boundary of the rehabilitation service area in Kowloon for the URA can visit the URRC in Tai Kok Tsui and the URA website at www.ura.org.hk or call the Building Maintenance Assistance Scheme Hotline at 3188 1188.
(ENDS)