LESS THAN 4% HOUSE OWNERS APPLY FOR HEALTH CHECK IN TAIPEI|維修需自付 北市老屋健檢申請率僅4%

A new service was launched in April by the Taipei City government to help people determine if the houses they live in are strong enough to withstand earthquakes. However, only less than 4% of targeted households actually applied for the service. Now the city government has decided to take the initiative. Visual inspections will be carried out by commissioned experts, beginning with buildings along Chongqing South road and Heping West road. Once the preliminary inspection concludes that more action is needed, building owners will be notified. This apartment building is over 50 years old. The cement on the railings' surface is flaking off and there is even a long crack on the wall. For the sake of people's safety, the Taipei City government decided to conduct a free health check of old buildings located on Chongqing S. Rd, Chongqing N. Rd, Heping E. Rd, and Heping W. Rd, where there are a large number of old buildings. ==MR. WU, resident== I am in favor of the policy. If the floor area ratio can be improved, then a lot of problems can be resolved automatically. ==MS. LEE, resident== If there is no subsidy for reconstruction of old buildings, it will be a huge burden to average households. According to the Ministry of the Interior, around 57,000 old buildings located in Taipei are over 30 years old, which accounts for 60 percent of Taipei's buildings. Since this April, the city government has provided a NT$ 8,000 subsidy for each household to conduct a health check of old buildings over 30 years old. However, during the past six months, only 351 building owners applied for the subsidy, meaning that only 4 percent of old buildings were inspected. Therefore, the city government decided to take the initiative this time. They entrusted the inspection of old buildings to three civil engineers associations. Once a civil engineer found that a building requires a further check, they will inform the building owners. The check results are completely confidential. ==LIN CHOU-MIN, Chief, Taipei City Government Dept. of Urban Development== We provide the health check for 7500 old buildings. However, a lot of people do not know about this policy. Only 351 building owners applied for it. Taipei City government's Department of Urban development said besides giving advice, they will help building owners to apply for a community autonomous urban renewal operation or apply for loans. TRANSLATED BY：ARIEL HSIEH 這一間位於台北市超過50年的老公寓，陽台上的水泥欄杆剝落的快剩下原本的一半，就連圍牆上也出現長長的裂縫。台北市先前公布土壤液化潛勢圖，優先選定老屋數量最多的重慶南北路、和平東西路，進行免費老屋健檢。 ==台北市和平東路住戶 吳先生== 我是覺得贊成 容積率如果說能提高的話 基本上很多的問題 就不是問題了 ==台北市和平東路住戶 李小姐== (老屋重建要)補助經費 要是沒有的話 整間下來花費太大了 根據內政部今年上半年度統計，台北市超過30年老屋就有57萬戶，占台北市房屋的六成。北市提供6千萬元、30年老屋防震健檢，不過截至10月份為止，只有351棟提出申請，申請率只有4%。 所以台北市這次打算主動出擊，以重慶南北路、和平東西路為主、委託三大技師公會進行目視、不進入屋內的耐震勘查，如果發現屋況必須進一步健檢，將主動通知社區或公寓住戶，而且檢驗結果完全保密。 ==台北市都發局長 林洲民== 可以有7500棟的屋主們來申請 目前大家知道的訊息不夠 只有350(351)棟(申請) 同樣的都更處的整微計畫 一棟可以有到2300萬補助 北市都發局強調，老屋評估後，將提供住戶重建或是補強的建議，像是自辦都更，協助住戶申請貸款。 記者 李志華 謝其文 台北報導