Homes made from old shipping containers set to be built for 100 needy families in Sham Shui Po

Set to be the first of their kind in Hong Kong, stackable units converted from shipping containers are to be erected in the downtown residential district of Sham Shui Po as a new form of housing for needy families.

Private developers Henderson Land Development has confirmed it had offered the site, at No 202-220 Nam Cheong Street, to the Hong Kong Council of Social Service – an umbrella group of welfare organisations – for its transitional social housing project.

Three blocks of prefabricated modular housing units will be built on the site, providing temporary housing for some 100 needy families for as long as two years, according to the council’s initial plans.

A spokesman for Henderson said on Wednesday that the site, about 1,870 square metres, would be offered to the council at a token rental of HK$1 for two years.

“The site is planned for one of our urban redevelopment projects. Half of the site has been cleared and there is still an old four-storey block there that we are going to tear down soon,” the spokesman said. “It should not take much longer than two or three months. After that, we shall hand over the site to the council.

“Discussion with the council has been held some time. And we are pleased to be able to play a role in helping the society. So, we offer the urban site to the council as we do not expect immediate redevelopment of the site for the next two years,” the spokesman said.