Welfare Council provides interim, affordable housing for the urban poor
Publish Date: 22-Mar-2018
Steep housing cost is one of the main causes of misery for the urban poor in Hong Kong. To address this problem, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service launched a three-year Community Housing Movement in October 2017 to provide short-term accommodation to individuals or households in need of transitional housing. HKSKH Welfare Council took part in this worthy initiative as one of the movement’s operators. It oversees fifty-three units in four blocks on To Kwa Wan Road, an older district on the Kowloon side. Every unit is expected to house two households, each paying a rent not exceeding a quarter of its income. Besides offering shelter, this project aims to foster mutuality among households in the community. The first round of applications ended on 9 March, and results were announced on 21 March. The second round is going to end on 29 March. Applicants must satisfy these four criteria: - Applicants must be residents of subdivided flats, having spent over three years waiting for public housing, or are currently residing in dismal or inadequate housing conditions.
- They must be employed full-time or have applied for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance.
- They must be able to support themselves and be willing to support their housemates.
- Their monthly personal or household income must not exceed the income limit for public rental housing application.
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