https://www.scmp.com/rss/292743/feed Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) is a non-governmental and human rights advocacy group in Hong Kong. The group was founded in 1972 by church members. It is also financially supported by donations from various churches, overseas funding, the Community Chest and individuals. The group has organised community social actions and civic education programs in order to encourage the political participation of the population. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying A higher level of engagement in society is among the reasons Hong Kong women’s life expectancy has reached a record high, experts have said, calling for gender-specific solutions to support the city’s ageing population. Academics and other specialists said that less exposure to high-risk activities and a willingness to seek help were also among factors for women living longer than men in Hong Kong. Their analysis followed the recent release of a Census and Statistics Department report, “Women... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3324105/why-has-hong-kong-womens-life-expectancy-hit-record-high-what-about-men?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3324105/why-has-hong-kong-womens-life-expectancy-hit-record-high-what-about-men?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 00:00:31 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The city has been shocked, not for the first time, by the discovery of the remains of an elderly resident who lived and died alone in a public housing flat. It is also likely to be far from the last time. An inadequate social safety network for a growing population of elderly who live alone or with an elderly spouse, without appropriate support, could make that inevitable unless action is taken to counter isolation. There are several initiatives and pilot schemes that address the problem... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3322874/hong-kong-must-ensure-its-elderly-age-dignity-and-care?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3322874/hong-kong-must-ensure-its-elderly-age-dignity-and-care?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 23:15:13 +0000 Vivian Au,Ambrose Li Vivian Au,Ambrose Li A woman accused of killing her mother and younger brother before attempting suicide is believed to have acted under mental stress, Hong Kong police have said, while the government is facing mounting pressure to rapidly expand its carer services. Welfare groups on Tuesday urged authorities to widen their database and related services to cover more types of high-risk carers across all of the city’s 18 districts, a day after a 52-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of murdering her mother and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3321603/hong-kong-woman-accused-killing-mother-and-brother-acted-under-mental-stress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3321603/hong-kong-woman-accused-killing-mother-and-brother-acted-under-mental-stress?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:50:04 +0000 Oscar Liu,Jiang Chuqin Oscar Liu,Jiang Chuqin Hong Kong’s labour minister has rejected calls to halt the importation of workers amid a manpower shortage across various sectors, despite authorities discovering preliminary evidence in two cases of companies dismissing local employees after bringing in staff from outside the city. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han on Sunday reiterated that the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme, which covers positions such as waiters and salespeople, prioritised local workers. He added that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3318040/labour-chief-defends-foreign-worker-scheme-despite-hongkongers-job-loss-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3318040/labour-chief-defends-foreign-worker-scheme-despite-hongkongers-job-loss-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 09:53:48 +0000 Elizabeth Cheung Elizabeth Cheung Hong Kong children who feel they lack study and play areas at home have poorer mental health and academic results, a poll has found. Survey results published on Monday also showed that about 40 per cent of children living in subdivided flats said they did not have enough of the spaces at home, a rate that was higher than those in other types of housing. Hong Kong Metropolitan University and the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) jointly conducted the poll. “We hope to look into what... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3317259/hong-kong-children-cramped-flats-have-poorer-mental-health-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3317259/hong-kong-children-cramped-flats-have-poorer-mental-health-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jul 2025 11:09:44 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Temperatures in substandard housing in Hong Kong reached as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) over the past week, while about 40 per cent of tenants in such homes reported having poor quality or no windows, a concern group has found. The results came from two studies published by the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) on Sunday, with the group calling on authorities to offer subsidies so tenants could buy cooling products. SoCO also said that the living conditions of low-income... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3317143/temperatures-hong-kongs-subpar-housing-reach-high-40-degrees-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3317143/temperatures-hong-kongs-subpar-housing-reach-high-40-degrees-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 10:23:19 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing A recent surgical blunder involving a doctor removing a woman’s Fallopian tube rather than her appendix has cast doubt on Hong Kong public hospitals’ ability to effectively implement safety protocols and allocate manpower, patients’ advocates have said. Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po on Friday revealed the blunder, which involved a 48-year-old woman who was admitted with appendicitis on June 17. A higher surgical trainee performed a laparoscopic appendectomy on the patient the next day... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3316228/appendicitis-surgery-blunder-puts-spotlight-hong-kong-public-hospital-safety?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3316228/appendicitis-surgery-blunder-puts-spotlight-hong-kong-public-hospital-safety?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jun 2025 12:30:43 +0000 Fiona Sun,Vivian Au Fiona Sun,Vivian Au Hong Kong’s plan to tap the multibillion-dollar “silver economy” and bolster elderly residents’ spending power requires measures that will increase their participation in the workforce and give them more income, such as a flexible retirement age and better medical insurance, analysts have said. The government on Tuesday announced 30 measures aimed at reaping the economic rewards of the ageing population. Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk Wing-hing outlined five key areas his... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3312030/what-experts-say-hong-kong-gets-right-and-wrong-plan-tap-silver-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3312030/what-experts-say-hong-kong-gets-right-and-wrong-plan-tap-silver-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 May 2025 00:34:27 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hundreds of underprivileged Hong Kong families fear they will need to cut back on essentials, including academic support for their children, when the government ends a trial handout scheme next month for those awaiting public housing, a survey has found. The Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) said on Sunday that half of the 330 poor households it polled in May received or were applying for the money to help pay for essentials, as it urged authorities to again extend the scheme. “The cash... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3311738/hundreds-poor-hongkongers-face-cutbacks-essentials-when-handout-ends-poll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3311738/hundreds-poor-hongkongers-face-cutbacks-essentials-when-handout-ends-poll?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 May 2025 13:09:56 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Private hospitals are a relatively expensive option in most communities, and patients usually expect better services than in public facilities. So, it is understandable that Hong Kong’s private hospitals are feeling some heat after a worrying mechanical failure at one institution was made public months after it happened. Health authorities have been asked to review incident report guidelines after the 45-minute air-conditioning breakdown at St Teresa’s Hospital on July 31 last year when a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3310777/hong-kongs-private-hospitals-must-also-be-transparent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3310777/hong-kongs-private-hospitals-must-also-be-transparent?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 May 2025 23:30:08 +0000 Elizabeth Cheung Elizabeth Cheung Health authorities have come under pressure to review incident reporting guidelines for private hospitals after 12 operations were affected by a 45-minute breakdown of an air-conditioning system at one facility last year but which was only revealed on Monday. St Teresa’s Hospital, a private facility in Kowloon City, confirmed to the Post the air-conditioning system for its operating theatres broke down on July 31 of last year. The fault resulted in condensation dripping from surgical lights,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3310044/call-toughen-rules-reporting-incidents-private-hospitals-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3310044/call-toughen-rules-reporting-incidents-private-hospitals-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 May 2025 12:45:46 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Widow Law Wai-ho, 82, lives alone in Hong Kong and worries that no one will be there to help if anything happens to her. Law recalled her helplessness when she fell on the street and could not get up until a security guard arrived and took her to hospital, where she spent a week with no one by her side. Law, who survives on government welfare allowances, said her son seldom visited her, while her daughter lived in the mainland Chinese city of Zhongshan with her own family. “I spend most of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3309851/discovery-skeleton-flat-reveals-plight-hong-kongs-hidden-elderly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3309851/discovery-skeleton-flat-reveals-plight-hong-kongs-hidden-elderly?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 May 2025 09:53:23 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Advocacy groups and tenants have urged Hong Kong authorities to adjust proposals for regulating below-standard subdivided flats, calling for bigger minimum sizes and permanent resettlement as a public consultation ended. Some tenants on Monday also said they had been evicted, as their landlords had told them they needed to renovate their flats to meet the proposed government requirements. The government earlier proposed drafting new laws allowing only registered subdivided flats – known as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3298112/hong-kong-groups-subdivided-flat-tenants-seek-changes-proposed-regulations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3298112/hong-kong-groups-subdivided-flat-tenants-seek-changes-proposed-regulations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Feb 2025 13:07:25 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung A Hong Kong poll has found 60 per cent of tenants living in the city’s tiny subdivided flats think the government’s proposed minimum size of 86 sq ft for the homes is too small. The Society for Community Organisation released its findings on Sunday, weeks before the end of a stakeholder consultation over the government’s plan to phase out substandard shoebox homes. Sze Lai-shan, the deputy director of the concern group, urged the government to instead set standards based on household size to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3295385/60-hongkongers-subdivided-flats-say-proposed-minimum-too-small-poll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3295385/60-hongkongers-subdivided-flats-say-proposed-minimum-too-small-poll?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jan 2025 12:01:44 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Cleaner Suen Wai-keung*, 57, has been waiting 16 years for a Hong Kong public housing flat, but does not expect to hear good news about his application any time soon. Earning about HK$12,000 (US$1,540) a month, he spends nearly a quarter of his income, or HK$2,900, on renting a termite-infested cubicle in Sham Shui Po, sharing a kitchen and a bathroom with a dozen others. “How much longer do I need to live in my cubicle? Is being single a sin?” Suen said. He is one of the 91,000 single... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3288882/16-year-wait-hong-kong-public-housing-singles-under-60-bemoan-negligent-policies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3288882/16-year-wait-hong-kong-public-housing-singles-under-60-bemoan-negligent-policies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Dec 2024 12:41:44 +0000 More than 90 per cent of children who live in Hong Kong’s notorious subdivided flats show signs of spinal issues as a result of the cramped conditions, a survey has found, sparking calls from a concern group for families with youngsters to be given priority for public housing. The culprit was that children did not have proper desks and had to do homework on makeshift surfaces such as beds and chairs, the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) said on Sunday. “The government should consider... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3286950/93-children-hong-kong-subdivided-flats-have-spine-issues-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3286950/93-children-hong-kong-subdivided-flats-have-spine-issues-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Nov 2024 13:34:18 +0000 Wong Chi-kong, 77, pays HK$2,800 (US$360) a month for a 40 sq ft living space in Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po, sleeping in a bunk bed next to a toilet and having to dine out due to a lack of cooking facilities. When the Housing Bureau offered him a 150 sq ft transitional housing flat near Kam Sheung Road in Yuen Long, he turned it down because the estate was too far out and hard to reach. “I tried visiting the neighbourhood twice, but the taxi driver couldn’t even find it because it was so remote.... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3281272/why-are-some-hong-kong-subdivided-housing-tenants-turning-down-temporary-flats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3281272/why-are-some-hong-kong-subdivided-housing-tenants-turning-down-temporary-flats?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Oct 2024 09:53:16 +0000 About a quarter of respondents to a survey on Hong Kong’s coming waste charging scheme have said they may flush their food waste down the toilet, and more than half said they will avoid taking out their trash every day due to the extra costs involved. The poll of low-income households carried out by the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) also found that 43 per cent of respondents were in favour of giving certain underprivileged communities another year to prepare for the scheme, which is... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3254006/flushing-food-waste-down-toilet-some-poor-families-worry-about-managing-extra-costs-hong-kongs-waste?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3254006/flushing-food-waste-down-toilet-some-poor-families-worry-about-managing-extra-costs-hong-kongs-waste?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Mar 2024 12:03:33 +0000 Hong Kong authorities should improve care for elderly residents by shortening their waiting time at public outpatient clinics and ramping up support for people who look after them, an advocacy group has said. Elderly residents speaking at a media event organised by the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) on Tuesday also expressed reservations over a proposed increase in the fee for accident and emergency (A&E) services, saying the hike might deter them from seeking urgent help. Chow... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3251862/hong-kong-elderly-should-have-shorter-waiting-time-ae-departments-better-supported-carers-advocacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3251862/hong-kong-elderly-should-have-shorter-waiting-time-ae-departments-better-supported-carers-advocacy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:25:44 +0000 Christmas came early for 12-year-old Andy Wong after the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) gave him a remote-control car that his family could not afford to buy. The youngster – who wants to be a car designer – said on Monday he was delighted to get the present from the NGO. “I felt happy and content when I received the remote-control car,” Andy added. He was one of the 3,360 underprivileged children who sent their Christmas wish to the SoCO, which has distributed more than 40,000... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3245508/christmas-comes-early-children-need-hong-kongs-soco-hands-out-presents-ngo-says-its-struggling-hit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3245508/christmas-comes-early-children-need-hong-kongs-soco-hands-out-presents-ngo-says-its-struggling-hit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Dec 2023 14:07:54 +0000 Hong Kong’s two electricity suppliers have announced relief measures to ease the financial burden of low-income families, with the firms expected to reveal their tariff plans for next year on Tuesday. CLP Power, the larger of the firms, on Monday said it would budget HK$70 million (US$9 million) to support low-income families in 2024. HK Electric said it had earmarked HK$55 million to promote its decarbonisation initiatives including cash coupons for needy households next year. The Legislative... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3243010/hong-kong-electricity-suppliers-offer-relief-measures-needy-firms-expected-reveal-tariff-adjustments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3243010/hong-kong-electricity-suppliers-offer-relief-measures-needy-firms-expected-reveal-tariff-adjustments?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Nov 2023 16:05:55 +0000 More than three out of four residents in Hong Kong’s second-poorest district have called for improvements to hygiene and structural safety among buildings in the area, a survey has found. The Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) said the poll results published on Sunday also showed that less than 7 per cent of residents in Sham Shui Po were satisfied with government inspection efforts after the city witnessed multiple incidents of debris falling from ageing buildings in recent months. “A... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3235647/75-hongkongers-second-poorest-district-call-better-hygiene-measures-greater-structural-safety?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3235647/75-hongkongers-second-poorest-district-call-better-hygiene-measures-greater-structural-safety?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Sep 2023 13:36:13 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader pledged on Sunday to stay focused on improving the supply of housing and land despite the litany of other challenges facing the city as he visited a family of four crowded into a subdivided flat ahead of next month’s policy address. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also stressed the government would continue to offer more options such as transitional flats and “light public housing” so at least some of the nearly quarter-million residents living in subdivided homes could move... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3234845/hong-kong-leader-vows-focus-housing-land-supply-and-find-long-term-solutions-issue-subdivided-flats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3234845/hong-kong-leader-vows-focus-housing-land-supply-and-find-long-term-solutions-issue-subdivided-flats?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Sep 2023 07:42:38 +0000 A recent Hong Kong government move to let elderly residents use their HK$2,000 (US$255) healthcare vouchers on specialists who can help with hearing, speech, diet and psychological issues has received a lukewarm response. Fewer than 100 audiologists, clinical psychologists, dietitians and speech therapists have enrolled in the scheme since it was expanded on April 28, and many of the city’s elderly appear unaware of the wider range of services. The Post learned that the apparent lack of interest... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3233195/lukewarm-response-hong-kong-healthcare-specialists-expanded-voucher-scheme-elderly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3233195/lukewarm-response-hong-kong-healthcare-specialists-expanded-voucher-scheme-elderly?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Sep 2023 07:05:09 +0000 A former Kowloon Walled City resident is trying to take the Hong Kong government to court after his application for public housing was rejected four times, contesting an eligibility clause that bars him because he accepted compensation when the area was demolished. The retiree surnamed Hui filed an application for judicial review and accused authorities of “unfair treatment” over a policy that made him ineligible for government housing because he had accepted the financial package 30 years ago... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3232455/former-kowloon-walled-city-resident-takes-hong-kong-government-court-over-4-time-rejection-public?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3232455/former-kowloon-walled-city-resident-takes-hong-kong-government-court-over-4-time-rejection-public?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Aug 2023 03:00:23 +0000 Half of Hong Kong’s lower-income elderly have moderate to severe depression or anxiety, a poll carried out by a university and a welfare campaign group has found. The results of the survey, released on Sunday, sparked an appeal for the government to do more to improve neighbourhood support for elderly people in need. The Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) said the government should expand an existing pilot scheme and fund more part-time “community carers” to support underprivileged... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3231719/survey-showing-hong-kong-lower-income-elderly-suffering-depression-and-anxiety-crisis-sparks-calls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3231719/survey-showing-hong-kong-lower-income-elderly-suffering-depression-and-anxiety-crisis-sparks-calls?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Aug 2023 14:23:11 +0000 Lower electricity bills for Hong Kong Island residents prompted by falling fuel prices will not be enough to make a difference in the lives of the many of the city’s poorest, an NGO has said. Sze Lai-shan, deputy director of the Society for Community Organisation, urged HK Electric on Wednesday to offer more relief measures for residents living in subdivided flats. “In spite of the drop, some residents have told us electricity prices are still unaffordable, and that living on Hong Kong Island is... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3229050/cuts-power-bills-hong-kong-island-residents-not-enough-subdivided-flat-tenants-ngo-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3229050/cuts-power-bills-hong-kong-island-residents-not-enough-subdivided-flat-tenants-ngo-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jul 2023 01:00:23 +0000 Sales of air conditioners have jumped in Hong Kong while demand for urgent repairs skyrocketed amid rising temperatures, with those living in subdivided flats among the worst affected, according to two online platforms and an advocacy group. Online marketplace HKTVmall said sales of air conditioners had risen by about 30 per cent between May 21 and 27 compared with the week before, while total transactions for the appliance last month soared about 260 per cent from February. Papabo, a Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3222848/hong-kong-air-conditioner-sales-demand-repairs-surge-mercury-soars-while-subdivided-flat-tenants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3222848/hong-kong-air-conditioner-sales-demand-repairs-surge-mercury-soars-while-subdivided-flat-tenants?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jun 2023 02:30:12 +0000 Nearly four in five cross-border single-parent families in Hong Kong have not been able to afford enough food for their children in the three years since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, with more than half resorting to expired goods, a survey has found. Most of the 52 single-parent households questioned also told the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO), which carried out the survey, that they hoped to be allowed to renew their exit-entry permits in the city even after the border with... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3207797/coronavirus-most-single-parent-cross-border-families-hong-kong-struggling-afford-enough-food?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3207797/coronavirus-most-single-parent-cross-border-families-hong-kong-struggling-afford-enough-food?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jan 2023 12:49:37 +0000 Hong Kong secondary school student Jimmy Liang Xikun’s biggest wish for the new year is to finally move into a public rental home with his family after almost a decade of waiting. The household of six, which includes Liang’s prematurely born baby sister, is crammed inside a 200 sq ft, two-bedroom cubicle flat, which costs them HK$7,000 (US$896) a month. “We are always stuck in our bedroom, except at mealtimes, because there’s not much space to move,” the 14-year-old said on Sunday. “I normally... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3205259/new-home-new-year-underprivileged-hong-kong-youth-call-authorities-tackle-housing-shortage-increase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3205259/new-home-new-year-underprivileged-hong-kong-youth-call-authorities-tackle-housing-shortage-increase?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Jan 2023 14:06:53 +0000 Hong Kong housing officials should take over the responsibility of building temporary homes for people waiting for public flats so as to provide a more stable supply, a concern group has urged. The Society for Community Organisation made the appeal on Sunday as it revealed details of a transitional housing project under a five-year lease with the government in the industrial district of Kwai Chung, in the southwest New Territories. The group aims to provide about 700 low-income residents with... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3195346/concern-group-urges-hong-kong-housing-authorities-take-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3195346/concern-group-urges-hong-kong-housing-authorities-take-over?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Oct 2022 10:11:31 +0000 Eighty-year-old Hongkonger Chan Yim-chun owns three phones – an old-school 3G flip phone, a smartphone and a specially designed mobile phone that connects to an emergency hotline. But the mother of three, who lives alone in a subdivided unit in Sham Shui Po, said she only used the flip phone and had no idea how to use the internet. “I cannot read what’s on the smartphone, and it just makes me feel clumsy and confused,” she said. “I need to rely on other people to help me with anything that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3185531/no-smartphone-no-entry-isolated-covid-19-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3185531/no-smartphone-no-entry-isolated-covid-19-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Jul 2022 01:00:24 +0000 Hong Kong’s new housing chief has vowed to locate more land for transitional homes that can be used for a longer time, following her first visit as minister to several of the city’s notorious subdivided flats. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin on Sunday made the pledge following a field trip arranged by the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) during which she visited tenants living in four subdivided flats and “cage homes” in Sham Shui Po, and met another 20 residents. Subdivided... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3184792/hong-kong-housing-chief-vows-locate-more-land-transitional?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3184792/hong-kong-housing-chief-vows-locate-more-land-transitional?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Jul 2022 14:15:01 +0000 An advocacy group has said legislation designed to control rents has failed to help Hong Kong’s underprivileged and encouraged rent increases. The Society for Community Organisation appealed to the government to set caps on rent levels in a bid to alleviate the problem. The rent control legislation prohibits landlords of subdivided flats from raising rents in the first two years of a new tenancy. An online survey conducted by the society and completed by 291 tenants of subdivided flats between... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3183140/campaigners-rent-control-law-fails-help-hong-kongs-poorest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3183140/campaigners-rent-control-law-fails-help-hong-kongs-poorest?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jun 2022 13:19:50 +0000 Nearly one in four young Hongkongers from low-income families have taken to “lying flat”, or doing the bare minimum to get by, with some saying they feel hopeless about the future, a survey has found. The poll, conducted by the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) from February to May, found 23 per cent of 100 young Hongkongers interviewed opted to lie flat, a phenomenon that swept mainland China last year in which young people reject the rat race and hard work, preferring to earn only... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3181419/nearly-1-4-young-hongkongers-low-income-families-lying-flat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3181419/nearly-1-4-young-hongkongers-low-income-families-lying-flat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jun 2022 12:03:56 +0000 A concern group has urged the government to raise Hong Kong’s minimum wage to at least HK$50 (US$6.37) per hour as it has remained unchanged for the last three years, adding that the base pay should be reviewed annually to keep up with inflation. The Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) said that although the current minimum wage of HK$37.50 per hour marked an increase of 33.9 per cent since its introduction in 2011, the consumer price index had soared close to 40 per cent in the past 12... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3179611/hong-kong-ngo-urges-government-raise-minimum-wage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3179611/hong-kong-ngo-urges-government-raise-minimum-wage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 May 2022 23:15:24 +0000 This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong is expected to tighten Covid-19 social-distancing rules further as it prepares to launch a so-called vaccine pass on Thursday limiting entry to venues based on inoculation status. As infection numbers continued to climb on Monday, reaching a new record of more than 7,500 cases, an 11-month-old baby became the city’s youngest coronavirus-related... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3167793/coronavirus-hong-kong-tighten-cap-diners-table?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3167793/coronavirus-hong-kong-tighten-cap-diners-table?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Feb 2022 05:44:23 +0000 Ming* has been spending an hour a day over the past six months collecting discarded cardboard on the streets of Sham Shui Po. The most the 15-year-old earned in a week was HK$25 (US$3.20) for 5kg. The older child of a divorced 39-year-old cleaner, he prepares lunch for his 10-year-old sister and tutors her. “When I think of how hard my mother works, I think it’s all right to help out a bit,” said Ming, who is in Secondary Three. “There are people who ask, ‘Why are you gathering cardboard at such... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3157538/hong-kongs-poor-children-home-work-means-cooking-cleaning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3157538/hong-kongs-poor-children-home-work-means-cooking-cleaning?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Nov 2021 01:00:19 +0000 Eleven-year-old Eddie Peng Bo-tao knocks on his neighbours’ door every time he prepares to practise the flute at his tiny Hong Kong home. “If no one responds, I’ll play the flute immediately. If my neighbours are at home, I have to keep it at a very low volume,” he explained. “For low-pitch it’s OK, but high-pitched songs don’t work.” Peng, who lives in a small tin shack with his mother in Fanling, has to speak softly because his neighbours live so close. But he enjoys playing the bamboo flute... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3152616/underprivileged-hong-kong-children-share-stage-musical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3152616/underprivileged-hong-kong-children-share-stage-musical?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Oct 2021 00:00:30 +0000 An advocacy group representing residents of subdivided flats has urged Hong Kong’s leader to introduce stricter rent controls and other innovative measures ahead of her policy address on Wednesday, as pressure mounts from both Beijing and the pro-establishment camp to tackle the city’s infamous housing woes. With Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor widely expected to unveil a new blueprint for boosting land supply and alleviating the city’s housing shortage, Society for Community... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3151038/hong-kong-advocacy-group-calls-city-leader-commit-extra?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3151038/hong-kong-advocacy-group-calls-city-leader-commit-extra?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Oct 2021 09:09:17 +0000 May* had finally relaxed enough to fall asleep in a park in Mong Kok, when she jolted awake to discover a man had crept up to lie beside her. “I was very scared. Why sleep next to me when there is so much space?” she recalls. It was not the only unwanted encounter she experienced in the park where she has slept since April. On at least three occasions, she says, she screamed when men exposed themselves in front of her. Jobless and 49, she says she told a social worker, who encouraged her to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3145803/hong-kongs-rising-number-homeless-women-struggle-streets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3145803/hong-kongs-rising-number-homeless-women-struggle-streets?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Aug 2021 00:00:14 +0000 Social workers have urged the Hong Kong government to provide more dental subsidies for the elderly after a survey found toothache affected the sleep of those living below the poverty line three times more than the average old person. The survey, conducted by the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) and the Elderly Rights League, covered 230 underprivileged people between May and July. SoCO community organiser Ivan Lin Wai-kiu said teeth problems were a serious health concern for the city’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3143398/dental-subsidies-needed-hong-kongs-elderly-bad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3143398/dental-subsidies-needed-hong-kongs-elderly-bad?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Aug 2021 11:16:36 +0000 A pilot scheme to find 800 rooms at hotels and guest houses to use as transitional accommodation for residents waiting for public flats in Hong Kong has tripped over red tape, according to a partnering non-profit organisation. The programme is intended to provide the residents with at least two years’ housing. But according to the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO), many guest houses are licensed annually and the lack of absolute certainty over their future makes it difficult to offer... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3142472/hong-kong-housing-push-turn-empty-hotel-rooms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3142472/hong-kong-housing-push-turn-empty-hotel-rooms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jul 2021 01:00:26 +0000 Kung Chung-ying recalls what it was like to sleep rough on the streets as he guides visitors at an exhibition on life stories of Hong Kong’s homeless every Saturday. The 65-year-old Hongkonger, a former Japanese cuisine chef of more than 40 years, resigned from his restaurant job about four years ago after arthritis left his right hand weak. He used to rent a bed-space for HK$2,400 (US$308) a month in a Yau Ma Tei flat, which was shared by more than 40 people and had three bathrooms. But after... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3127157/stories-struggle-streets-revealed-hong-kong-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3127157/stories-struggle-streets-revealed-hong-kong-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Mar 2021 01:30:19 +0000 Housing and education problems remained the most pressing issues faced by underprivileged children in Hong Kong over the past year, with the coronavirus pandemic piling on more challenges, according to a new survey by a rights group. The Children’s Rights Association’s 16th annual report – released at a New Year’s Day press conference – polled some 3,000 children aged between six and 17, all from economically disadvantaged families. The young participants were asked to rank a group of issues on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3116125/housing-education-top-list-concerns-hong-kongs-disadvantaged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3116125/housing-education-top-list-concerns-hong-kongs-disadvantaged?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jan 2021 10:52:37 +0000 The Kwun Tong public pier at the heart of the central business district in Kowloon is more than a place for people to catch a ferry, it has become a home to a community of people in Hong Kong with nowhere else to go. A haphazard mix of cardboard and wooden structures stand in defiance against a government sign that reads “unlawful occupation is not allowed”. Pastor Sam Cheng chun-wah, the founder of the Christian New Life Association, a drug treatment centre, and his group of volunteers, most of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3079474/hong-kong-homeless-community-where-living-rough-better-being?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3079474/hong-kong-homeless-community-where-living-rough-better-being?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2020 07:00:16 +0000 Among the countless Post-it notes bearing anti-government messages outside Kwong Wing Cafe in Hong Kong’s bustling Tsim Sha Tsui neighbourhood, one notice stands out: “Our staff can only speak Cantonese.” The sign quickly caught the attention of postgraduate student Huang, who often walks past the cha chaan teng-style restaurant with char siu, spaghetti and toast on its menu. Asking to be identified by only his surname, the 26-year-old Hongkonger says that, because of the notice, he never dines... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3077271/language-barriers-some-hong-kong-restaurants-still-cite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3077271/language-barriers-some-hong-kong-restaurants-still-cite?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2020 01:00:24 +0000 Nearly 70 per cent of low-income families in Hong Kong cannot afford to buy masks or disinfectant, and are experiencing increased levels of stress over the coronavirus epidemic, a human rights advocacy group has claimed. The Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) released the findings of its latest survey on Sunday, as they backed calls for a HK$10,000 cash handout for all residents ahead of Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s budget on Wednesday. A HK$990 million special allowance package... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3051968/coronavirus-hong-kongs-low-income-families?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3051968/coronavirus-hong-kongs-low-income-families?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Feb 2020 09:15:51 +0000 One hand on a walking cane and the other outstretched to feel her way, Jess Shek Kin-chong worries about catching the deadly coronavirus during her daily commute. Shek, who was born blind, said she had no idea what her hands or the tip of her cane could touch in public. Apart from a surgical mask, she wears a pair of gloves to protect herself, but has to take them off to run her fingers along the tactile dots on lift buttons, to find her floor. To keep her hands clean, Shek, who is in her 30s,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3050877/coronavirus-outbreak-makes-life-even-tougher-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3050877/coronavirus-outbreak-makes-life-even-tougher-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Feb 2020 00:00:16 +0000 Every morning, Cheung, 62, takes the MTR from Kowloon to Causeway Bay for work, and the cross-harbour ride costs her more than HK$10 (US$1.3). She earns HK$50 an hour handing out fliers of restaurants among people on the streets. Cheung, who wanted to be identified only by her surname, works for several hours a day to get her “hard-earned money”. But work has become harder to come by, as the city’s recession has forced many eateries out of business and surviving ones to cut budgets, she... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3046690/cheaper-travel-will-help-ease-burden-hong-kongs-working?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3046690/cheaper-travel-will-help-ease-burden-hong-kongs-working?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jan 2020 01:00:18 +0000