Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

On July 26, Mayor Ko Wen-je visited the Guangci Boai Park to attend the ribbon-cutting and inauguration ceremony for the facility’s Northern Greens Recreation Area. The space consists of over 4,000 pings of fragrance garden, grassy meadow, playground, and recreational facilities for community residents.
 
During his address, the mayor pointed out that after rezoning Guangci Boai Park to residential purposes, the city government attempted to attract builders through BOT. However, nothing came out of it, so Ko’s administration decided to allocate budget and have city government handle the issue. On the former site of Fude Affordable Housing and Guanci Boai Charitable Home, it plans to build a complex which includes social housing for all residents of all ages, the future Xinyi District Office, and facilities offering services ranging from social welfare to disability assistance.
 
Ko remarked that throughout constructions, the city government has set aside green spaces, including a 4,000-ping field in the northern side of the plot. The open meadow also houses an inclusive playground, and the mayor hopes that the site can find a balance between preservation of historical memories and ecosystem requirements. 
 
Regarding a previous survey targeting former community residents, nearly 98.5% of the respondents expressed their desire to continue living in the area. Also, 90% of the residents noted that social housing does help to relieve economic pressures. This indicate that social housings are important tools to the realization of housing justice.
 
The mayor believes that an important characteristic of Taipei’s social housing policy is a quota set aside for young entrepreneurs. A generous 7% of Taipei’s social housings units are reserved for these individuals and available not through lottery but application. However, these tenants will have to serve as experimental households for the upcoming digital services.