Taipei City Construction Management Office

Organization: Taipei City Construction Management Office Section: User Permit SectionPress Release Date: 2014-7-31Taipei’s "Live at Ease: Access-Free Living " Multi-Subsidy Plan In order to enhance building performance, strengthen public safety, improve the appearance of city, respond to an aging society and to promote addition of lift to old apartments, the Taipei City Government especially integrated the business scope of the Construction Management Office and Urban Regeneration Office to promote the " Live at Ease: Access-Free Living" multi-subsidy program. In addition to subsidizing "condominium to improve access-free facilities", four major plans including the: "old house free health check", "subsidy for external wall finishes peeling repair", "old house facelift and elevator installment subsidy" were combined to comprehensively construct a friendly, livable, safe and classy city. Full subsidy for old house health check: To help people understand the "health" status of their own homes, in April this year the Taipei City Government renewed the free health screening program for old houses. 200 quotas were made available and in less than three weeks, applications had fulfilled the quota. For this reason, Mayor Hau instructed an additional 200 quotas in the second half of this year, open for applications since August 1. As long as it is condominium of more than three layers, and residential use constitutes more than half of the building, you can submit an application through the management committee. The city government will fully subsidize this. Large communities will be limited to 20 buildings, which allows more small communities the opportunity to participate in this health examination. In addition, after the free health check quota is filled this year, if the applicants voluntarily apply at their own expense, they can also follow the existing old house health check mechanism. This will assist applicants in reaching designated health check agencies for health checks. Grants for old house facelifts and additional elevator set ups: the grant maximum is 45% of total funds for approved grant items, and not more than NT$10 million. From April 2, 2014 onwards, applications from legal private buildings below 7th floors without elevators will be accepted. Besides, buildings assessed to require maintenance by the old house health check, with no floor height restrictions, which involve structural safety, fire safety, asylum safety and other matters relating to public safety, can also apply at the Urban Regeneration Office.The Urban Regeneration Office remarked that the city urban regeneration and dispute settlement review council will thoroughly review applications regarding "priority grants”, "situations dealing with illegal buildings", "welfare subsidies" and other conditions. After grant eligibility and the items are approved, according to provisions in the Urban Regeneration Act and Implementation of the Regulations for Urban Regeneration, Renovation and Maintenance in Taipei City, they should acquire threshold of consent proportion within the regeneration unit, drew up urban regeneration, renovation and maintenance undertakings plan, according to legal procedures implemented after consideration and ratification. Exterior wall finishes peeling repair grants: the Taipei City Government, in order to relieve the occurrence of events such as building exterior wall finishes peeling, hanging objects loosening, etc., has disbursed the second budget reserve of NT$8.8 million dollars to handle the "investigation and execution plan for peeling finishes on Taipei City building facades". Now 1116 reported cases of peeling facades have been regulated. The Construction Management Office has commissioned the Taipei Architects Association to handle the survey, inspection, and consultation of building owners (management committee) in repair work. Execution is planned for at least 300 items a month. To speed up exterior wall renovation work, the city government specially allocated a secondary budget reserve of NT$30 million in subsidy repair funds, and set "Operating Guidelines Pertaining to Application for Repair Grants for Peeling Exterior Wall Finishes in Taipei City." Applications will be accepted starting August 5. The Construction Management Office said those eligible for exterior wall renovation grants were limited to legal private buildings more than 10 years of age, with peeling of external wall finishes facing roads or sidewalks without shelter canopies affecting public safety (peeling walls not facing roads or sidewalks without shelter canopies are not subsidized). Grant items were divided into two charges: the "crane fee" and "external wall finishes work cost". Payment for actual expenditure is provided, the grant for outer wall work in each case up extends to a maximum limit of $40,000. Besides, taking into consideration storied building construction, a crane fee is also subsidized. Buildings below the 5 floors are subsidized NT$10,000; buildings above 6 floors are subsidized NT$20,000. Application cases approved by the Construction Management Office for these grants must complete repairs within one month. The project will be implemented until the end of the year, with the opportunity for 1,000 community applications.Subsidy for improvement of access-free facilities in congregate housing: the project aims to reduce the financial burden on apartment buildings to improve access-free facilities. Particularly, Taipei City took the lead in the whole country to announce the "execution plan for access-free facilities improvements cost subsidy in existing Taipei City residences ". 45% of the improvement costs may be subsidized by the city, so you can apply at the Construction Management Office as starting today. Condominium over six floors or below five floors with more than 50 households fall in the "public building" category. According to the provisions, outdoor pathways, ramps and handrails on refuge floors, refuge floor entrances and exits, lift equipment and other access-free facilities should be improved and set to facilitate people with mobility problems, the elderly, pregnant women, people pushing baby carriages, people returning from traditional markets, even temporarily injured people with limited mobility. From 2014 onwards, the Construction Management Office will implement the "10-year program of access-free housing subsidies". NT$23 million has been budgeted this year to subsidize improved access-free facilities in housing. The maximum subsidy each case will receive is NT$410,000. This year, 100 residential communities are expected to benefit from the program.