HK$720 million Hong Kong charity project to provide 14,000 low-income families with financial help, social services and career advice
- Programme funded by Jockey Club, in collaboration with 18 partners, aims to pull households out of poverty by improving financial literacy, career prospects
- About 14,000 families living in 25 transitional housing sites will benefit, with organisers hoping initiative will be expanded at end of five-year run
A HK$720 million (US$91.9 million) charity project will provide about 14,000 underprivileged families in Hong Kong with financial support, access to social services and career development advice over five years.
The programme, funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, will be implemented in 25 transitional housing estates in collaboration with 18 partners, including businesses and NGOs.
The city’s No 2 official, Eric Chan Kwok-ki, on Saturday highlighted the importance of joining forces to help low-income families.
“[The programme] aims to set up a systematic poverty alleviation model … to help in an all-round manner impoverished households residing in transitional housing to widen their horizons and improve their living [standards],” Chief Secretary Chan said at the official launch ceremony.
Introduced in 2017, transitional housing is a government initiative to help families waiting for public rental flats and those forced to live in poor conditions in tiny subdivided spaces. As of December 2023, the average wait time for general applicants of public rental housing was about 5.8 years.
Clement Cheung Wan-ching, convenor of the programme’s advisory committee, said he hoped the government would help roll out the initiative, titled “JC PROJECT LIFT”, across the city if it was successful after its five-year run.