In recent years, Hong Kong has encountered a shortage of service places in both Elderly Services and Rehabilitation Services, which is partly due to a lack of social welfare premises. The sector encounters difficulties in searching appropriate lands and premises for services. In view of this, this issue of the Policy Bulletin “Planning and Provision of Social Welfare Premises” aims to explore the causes of and the policy solutions for the shortcomings of planning and provision of social welfare premises in Hong Kong, including a discussion over the “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines” to understand the importance of population-based planning ratios in social welfare planning, the experience of reinstating “population-based planning ratios for elderly services” in Elderly Services Programme Plan, and the review of “Special Scheme on Privately Owned Sites for Welfare Uses” and other possible solutions in increasing the supply of social welfare premises.

For enquiries, please contact Mr. Danny Yeung, Programme Executive of Policy Research and Advocacy (Social Development) at 2864 2963 or [email protected].