Taiwan's government subsidy for fixing up old homes is picking up steam, good news for owners of aging apartments and townhouses who want safer buildings.

• The program targets homes over 30 years old, paying to improve safety and living conditions.
• More than 14,000 people have asked about it, and 1,836 buildings have finished a first earthquake-safety check.
• Eleven cities and counties are taking applications now, including Taipei, New Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Taoyuan.
• Kaohsiung and Taoyuan have already closed this round after each took in over a hundred applications.
• The budget is about NT$5 billion and runs through the end of 2027, with local governments chipping in part of the repair money based on their finances.

Outlook: Six more counties open applications in late August and three more in October, so demand should keep climbing.