Pingnan elders enjoy their lives at “Happy Home”

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2014-05-19

On May 9, the 79-year-old Wu Weixian, happily entered the “Happy House” with a small case. Coming from Pingnan’s Ruiyun village, this spouseless and childless elder now has a home equipped with a 32-inch LCD TV, an electric rice cooker, an electromagnetic cooker, a double-deck steamer, a bed and beddings. Gathering in the new home, the elders are overjoyed.

“Happy Home” is a one-storied building with two rows running parallel to each other. “I used to live in an old shanty hut at the foot of a hill. Landslides could happen at any time,” Wu said gratefully, while feeling the white, solid wall.

“Now that we have a house made of steel and cement, we no long have to live in panic,” he went on to say. That day, Yu Hong, director of the county Housing Fund Office, along with leaders from Gantang Village, arrived at “Happy House” in the early morning to give subsidies to the elders.

He said,“We are here to take care of the villagers. We provide not only a house for those receiving five guarantees as subsidies (namely guaranteeing food, clothing, housing, medical and funeral services), but also make sure that facilities, furniture and electric appliances are in place.

It is reported that from 2010, Pingnan county has spent over two million yuan ($320,200) on building “Happy House” for households receiving the five guarantees. So far, a total of 223 elders have moved in. From January 1 this year, the subsidies for households go up from 120 yuan to 150 yuan per person per month. Elders living together will receive an additional 200 yuan.

Edited by Wang Yifei and Brian Salter