Hong Kong’s ‘community living rooms’ not enough to tackle poverty, welfare chief told

Lawmakers say government has not come up with effective ways to measure and help population living in poverty

Three new community living rooms – in Nam Cheong, To Kwa Wan and Hung Hom – are set to open in the summer, welfare chief says

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The government no longer uses a poverty line as a measure. Photo: Elson Li

Published: 8:45pm, 13 May 2024Updated: 11:24pm, 13 May 2024

Hong Kong’s welfare chief has faced pressure from lawmakers who argue he has not come up with effective ways to measure and help the population living in poverty, with some saying a government-led “community living room” project cannot tackle the problem in the short-run.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han on Monday told a Legislative Council welfare panel meeting that three new community living rooms – in Nam Cheong, To Kwa Wan and Hung Hom – were set to open in the summer.

That will be in addition to an existing space in Sham Shui Po, where local residents who live in cramped subdivided flats can do homework, shower, cook and eat.

While some lawmakers in the meeting praised the facility, others expressed scepticism about the scheme, which the government had highlighted as one of the projects for targeted poverty alleviation.

“Now we are talking about poverty alleviation and bringing people out of poverty,” welfare sector lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen said.

“Now we have a community living room and people can have more space, but can you say those people will be out of poverty three years later?”