Editorial | Underuse of heat shelters in Hong Kong for vulnerable points to need for better care
Demand would be higher if the facilities were more conveniently located and offered a better environment
Hong Kong, like the rest of the world, is experiencing hotter weather, placing the most vulnerable in society at risk. Those on low incomes, homeless or living in tiny subdivided flats find it difficult to escape the heat, lacking air conditioning, a fan or the ability to pay for their use. Respite is available, including overnight, in 19 temporary government heat shelters opened when the Observatory issues “very hot weather” warnings, with eight more for daytime use.
A survey by Greenpeace Hong Kong and ImpactHK, an NGO for the homeless, revealed that around 65 per cent of people in need have never used the shelters. More than half of those not using them said the location was inconvenient. Those sleeping overnight do so in a shared space without dividers, and some have had possessions stolen. A number prefer sheltering in fast-food restaurants. The survey is consistent with concerns raised in a 2022 study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, which called for nighttime heat shelters to be established at hotspots where many low-income people live.
Heat shelters have opened for 35 nights this year, with more than 5,700 visits. The Home Affairs Department said facilities have been improved. Dividers separate men and women and security guards patrol. The government, in response to a lawmaker’s question, said the shelters are sufficient to meet demand. But demand would be higher if they were more conveniently located and offered a better environment. Promotion of the shelters should also be stepped up.