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The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, today (February 25) visited two aged public housing estates on Hong Kong Island to see the Housing Authority's (HA) efforts in sustaining and improving the living environment of these estates.
Accompanied by the Chairman of HA's Building Committee, Mr Stephen Yip Moon-wah, Ms Cheng started her visit at Wah Fu Estate. She was briefed on the Comprehensive Structural Investigation Programme (CSIP) being carried out in the estate.
The HA launched CSIP in 2005 to ascertain building conditions of public housing estates of ages about or over 40 years and to identify the repair and strengthening works required to sustain the buildings for at least 15 years under an Estate Improvement Programme (EIP).
The CSIP for Wah Fu Estate commenced in August last year and will be completed in April.
Ms Cheng then visited a community centre for the elderly in the estate run by the Aberdeen Kai-fong Association. She was told that the centre provided a wide range of services for residents of the Wah Fu Estate especially the elderly and disadvantaged and their families.
Afterwards, Ms Cheng went to Sai Wan Estate where she saw various works under the EIP aimed at enhancing features of the environment of the estate.
The improvement works include the installation of energy saving lamps at the public corridors, railings at the lift lobbies, wall mural and redecoration of external walls and painting work for the roof of the covered walkway.
Ms Cheng learned that a lift tower would be constructed to link the estate with Cadogen Street while a trail would be provided for the elderly of the estate. The HA decided to carry out the improvement works at the estate upon findings of the CSIP in 2006 indicating that all the five buildings were structurally safe.
Ms Cheng later visited the family of a 92-year-old elderly person who has been living in the flat since the estate was completed in 1948.
Ends/Monday, February 25, 2008
Issued at HKT 20:11
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