Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an Boosts Elevator Installation Subsidy for Old Apartments to 80%

(CNA, reporter Chen Yu-ting, Taipei, July 1) To address the plight of "elderly trapped in old homes," Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an announced today that the subsidy for installing elevators in old apartments of six stories or less will be increased to a maximum of 80%, or NT$4.8 million, with simplified administrative procedures, aiming to create a safer, more convenient, and livable Taipei.

Chiang Wan-an visited the Futai Community in Xinyi District today to inspect the results of elevator installations in old apartments and announced four improvement measures: increasing the subsidy cap to 80%, waiving the requirement to pay compensation for the removal of legal parking spaces, exempting exterior wall repairs from requiring a change of use permit, and prioritizing the investigation and demolition of existing illegal structures that obstruct construction.

Chiang Wan-an stated that since taking office, he has lowered the application threshold and increased the subsidy for elevator installations, and allowed for property registration of areas where elevators are added. These measures have shown significant results, but Taipei still has over 80,000 old apartments over 30 years old without elevators, and many elderly individuals still face the predicament of being "trapped in old homes."

He added that to overcome these bottlenecks, the city government has continuously reviewed and adjusted policies since taking office, hoping to replicate the successful model of the Futai Community in more communities, creating a safer, more convenient, and livable Taipei.

The Urban Renewal Office of the Taipei City Department of Urban Development stated that since the "Elevator Boost Program" was launched in 2023, a total of 103 applications have been received, with the number of cases consistently ranking first nationwide. The Futai Community, with buildings nearly 40 years old and consisting of several large, walk-up apartment buildings of five stories, has successfully installed 27 elevators.

The Urban Renewal Office further explained that to encourage more apartment buildings to improve public safety and enhance living functions, subsidies for elevator installations will be increased to a maximum of 80%, or NT$4.8 million, for households with elderly individuals, infants, young children, or vulnerable members. Furthermore, legal parking spaces that are removed due to elevator installation will be exempt from paying millions of dollars in compensation.

In addition, the Urban Renewal Office stated that it will amend regulations to relax the principle of exterior wall repairs, exempting them from requiring a change of use permit and simplifying administrative procedures. Existing illegal structures that obstruct elevator or exterior wall construction will be forcibly demolished to completely remove integration obstacles. (Edited by Hsiao Po-wen) 1150701

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