Editorial | Hong Kong public housing tenants deserve to live in a nicer environment
A pilot scheme to introduce to five estates ‘heart-warming’ features that improve residents’ well-being hopefully can be extended across the city
When one conjures up thoughts of public housing in Hong Kong, the long waiting lists and rather plain common areas are likely to spring to mind. It is rather unlikely that these generally nondescript blocks of flats built for purpose over the decades since the 1950s would generate descriptions like heart-warming or notions of tenant well-being.
Yet it is with those ideas in mind that five public rental housing estates are due to undergo large-scale refurbishment. The approach is a welcome one.
Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-in said the government would carry out work on the estates by 2027 to bring in “heart-warming” features and improve residents’ well-being – from a new design guide featuring 170 enhancements including easily accessible chairs and hand rails to help seniors navigate the common areas.
The five estates included in the pilot scheme are Kai Yip Estate in Kwun Tong, Fu Shan Estate in Wong Tai Sin, Chak On Estate in Sham Shui Po, Shui Pin Wai Estate in Yuen Long and Mai Lam Estate in Sha Tin.
Ho said the idea was to encourage elderly residents, who are ageing right along with their housing estates, to remain engaged in the community and alleviate loneliness. “Elderly residents, especially those living on their own, like going downstairs to meet others,” Ho said, adding that as they aged they suffered from lack of confidence and worried about falling.
The new features include handrails in the corridors, a leaning bench in the lift, and a hanging hook next to post office boxes. Ho added this “will encourage them to go downstairs to make new friends, do tai chi or have tea”.