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Set up HK$10 billion fund to build transitional homes for families in search of housing, community groups urge ahead of Hong Kong leader’s policy address
Social housing providers want government to play bigger role in helping those waiting for public flats
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Social housing providers in Hong Kong are urging the government to take up a bigger role in developing transitional residences for about half a million households in search of a proper place to live, including establishing a designated fund of up to HK$10 billion (US$1.28 billion) for this purpose.
The call was jointly made by Ng Wai-tung, a veteran community organiser from the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO), and Chua Hoi-wai, chief executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS), on Monday morning, two days before Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is set to deliver her second policy address.
Bernard Chan, convenor of Lam’s cabinet, said on Sunday that transitional housing was believed to be a “priority among priorities” in the speech.
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In her maiden policy address last year, the chief executive rolled out five measures for developing social housing: using idle government premises for rental housing; supporting HKCSS to refurbish old flats and share them among eligible families; allowing owners of subsidised housing to rent out their flats to needy families without paying premiums; exploring the conversion of industrial buildings; and supporting NGOs to build prefabricated houses.
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“Currently transitional housing is mainly developed by social welfare organisations, which can deliver no more than 2,000 flats,” Ng said on a radio programme.
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