URA Launches the Third-round of Operation Building Bright 2.0 Scheme and Fire Safety Improvement Works Subsidy Scheme

The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) announces today (6 January 2023) that the third-round application for Operation Building Bright 2.0 Scheme (OBB 2.0) and the Fire Safety Improvement Works Subsidy Scheme (FSW Scheme) will commence on 1 April 2023. The Schemes aim to assist building owners in carrying out proper maintenance and repair works to improve building safety and the environment.

Deterioration of building conditions is a common phenomenon faced by many aged buildings in Hong Kong. To tackle the problem, the Government launched the OBB 2.0 and the FWS Scheme and committed $11.5 billion in 2017 and 2018 to assist building owners in need in carrying out the building inspection and repairs required under the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme (MBIS), as well as necessary fire services works to comply with Fire Safety Directions issued under the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance.

The URA has been the administrator of the two subsidy schemes since July 2018. During the first two rounds of applications in 2019 and 2021, more than 1,370 and 3,340 eligible applications were received for the OBB 2.0 and FSW Scheme respectively. Approvals in principle have already been issued to most applications which are in the process of engaging consultants, tendering for contractors or carrying out of site works. The URA offers technical supports to successful applicants, including preliminary cost estimation of the works and making an e-tendering platform available to facilitate the tendering process.

In order to enable building owners corporations to convene meetings during the pandemic to discuss and pass resolutions on matters related to the two Schemes, the URA has also assisted owners in setting up online meetings and provided meeting venues to facilitate building owners to complete the tendering process so as to speed up the commencement of the repair works. As at December 2022, over $700 million of subsidy has been approved for around 1,510 applications.

The application criteria for the third round of the OBB 2.0, which will open for application in April, has been relaxed to encourage voluntary building inspection and repairs. Subject to the maximum rateable value limits, domestic or composite buildings aged 40 years or above, irrespective of whether they have received any MBIS notices, are now eligible to apply for the subsidy. Meanwhile, the Scheme will also cover eligible buildings aged 30 to 39 years with outstanding MBIS notices.

The application requirements and subsidy amount for the third round of the FSW Scheme have remained unchanged. The submission deadline for the third round of both Schemes is 30 September 2023, and the results will be available by the end of 2023. Details of both Schemes are available in the Annex.

Online briefing sessions to introduce the two Schemes will be organised by the URA in April 2023 and owners of buildings that match the application criteria (target buildings) will receive invitation letters in March to attend. The URA will also partner with district organisations to reach out to the owners of target buildings to promote the Schemes and provide assistance for their applications.

The application forms and guide notes of the two Schemes can be downloaded from the Building Rehabilitation Platform (BRP) website (https://www.brplatform.org.hk) starting from 1 April 2023. Paper forms can also be obtained from the following offices on the same day:

URA Headquarters: 26/F COSCO Tower, 183 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong;
URA Building Rehabilitation Division Office: Unit B, G/F, 777-783 Yu Chau West Street, Kowloon;
Urban Renewal Resource Centre: 1/F, No. 6, Fuk Tsun Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon;
URA’s Kowloon City Neighbourhood Centre: Units K & L, 1/F, Sunshine Plaza, 17 Sung On Street, Hunghom, Kowloon;
URA Building Rehabilitation Resource Centre (to be opened in the 1^st Quarter of 2023) : 201 & 202, 2/F, eResidence, 8 Hok Yuen Street, Hung Hom, Kowloon; and
Home Affairs Enquiry Centres in different districts

Applicants can apply for the Schemes online via the BRP website or send the applications to the URA by post or in person on or before the submission deadline.

Members of the public can call the Hotline at 3188 1188 for details about the two building rehabilitation subsidy schemes.

Annex

Application Details of the Third Round of the Operation Building Bright 2.0 Scheme and the Fire Safety Improvement Works Subsidy Scheme

	Operation Building Bright 2.0 Scheme (OBB 2.0)	Fire Safety Improvement Works Scheme (FSW Scheme)
Application Period	1 April to 30 September 2023 (In the event that the owners’ meeting to pass a resolution to join the respective schemes could not be organised during the application period due to genuine difficulties, the applicant may apply for the respective Schemes through the management committee first, along with minutes of the concerned management committee meeting. Minutes of the said owners’ meeting should be submitted to the URA once the subsequent owners’ meeting has passed the concerned resolution.)
Scope of Coverage	Primarily for the cost of prescribed inspection and repair works under Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme (MBIS) (including consultancy fee)	Cost of fire safety improvement works in the common areas of a building required under the Fire Safety Directions or the relevant Fire Safety Compliance Orders (including consultancy fee)
Application Requirements	Private residential and composite (residential and commercial) buildings aged 40 years or above: Irrespective of whether they have received MBIS notice(s) or pre-notification letters issued by the Buildings Department for the common parts of the buildings; OR Private residential and composite (residential and commercial) buildings aged 30 to 39 years: Have received MBIS notice(s) or pre-notification letters issued by the Buildings Department for the common parts of the building The following criteria must be met: Average rateable values of domestic units for the year 2022/23 in a participating building should not: exceed $187,000 per annum for urban areas (including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Sha Tin, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan); exceed $143,000 per annum for New Territories (excluding Sha Tin, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan Districts) Buildings have formed owners’ corporation/ owners’ committees in accordance with the Deed of Mutual Covenant/ engaged building manager/ reached consensus among owners to join the Scheme	Target composite (residential and commercial) buildings under the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance which are not in single ownership Owners of buildings have been issued with Fire Safety Directions issued by the Fire Services Department and/or Buildings Department on the common areas of a building, and/or relevant Fire Safety Compliance Orders; and had not received letter(s) issued by the department(s) confirming the completion of all the fire safety improvement works required by the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance by the appointed day. Average rateable values of domestic units for the year 2022/23 in a participating building should not: exceed $187,000 per annum for urban areas (including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Sha Tin, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan); exceed $143,000 per annum for New Territories (excluding Sha Tin, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan Districts) Buildings have formed owners’ corporation/ owners’ committees in accordance with the Deed of Mutual Covenant (DMC)/ engaged building manager/ reached a consensus among owners to join the Scheme
Target Beneficiaries and Subsidy Levels	Target beneficiaries: Owner-occupiers of residential flat Subsidy level: Subsidy for works at common parts of a building: Non-elderly owner-occupiers aged below 60 will be subsidised 80% of the cost, subject to a cap of $40,000 per unit Elderly owner-occupiers aged 60 or above will be subsidised 100% of the cost, subject to a cap of $50,000 per unit Subsidy for private projecting structures: 50% of the cost subject to a cap of $6,000 per unit An individual eligible owner can apply for a subsidy for undertaking prescribed inspection and repair works in respect of such private projecting structures only if his/her building is approved for participation in OBB 2.0.	Target beneficiaries: Owners of buildings who are eligible to apply for the Fire Safety Improvement Works Subsidy Scheme Subsidy level: Maximum 60% of the related costs of works and consultancy fee, or corresponding cap imposed on the respective category of target composite buildings based on the number of floors, whichever is less The subsidy will be disbursed to owners’ corporations, owners’ committees, DMC managers or owners’ representatives (applicable to buildings that have not yet formed owners’ committees but obtained the consent of all owners to join the Scheme) on a building-basis

(ENDS)

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