Provide more public housing to make Hong Kong people happier
Paul Yip and Joanne Hsu say a recent study shows that welfare support such as CSSA and public housing can raise people’s life satisfaction
In recent years, the topic of people’s well-being has received an increasing amount of attention. In 2011, the United Nations recognised the pursuit of happiness to be a fundamental human goal. It called on all governments to promote people’s well-being as part of their policy aims.
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The Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention recently conducted a study on the life satisfaction of Hong Kong people, based on the data collected by the Hong Kong Panel Study of Social Dynamics. Our analysis showed that, at the individual level, men, unmarried people, new immigrants from the mainland and smokers had lower levels of life satisfaction; young people were more satisfied than the middle-aged and the elderly; professionals and those not in the labour force (including the retired) had higher levels of life satisfaction, and so did people engaging in regular religious activities.
At the family level, families who receive Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) and whose income falls below the poverty line were less satisfied with their lives; private home owners were more satisfied than public housing residents, but private tenants had the lowest level of life satisfaction.
