Secretary revisits family rehoused in transitional housing
SingTao · 2 SOURCES1 day ago5 MIN
Summary
Housing Secretary Winnie Ho Wing-yin (何永賢) said on Sunday that a return visit to a family she had first met while promoting the government's regime for basic housing standards showed how transitional housing had changed their daily life. The single mother and her primary-school son had moved from a roughly 70-square-foot subdivided unit in Sheung Shui to Pok Oi Sing Ping Village about a month after the initial outreach, and Ho said both now appeared more cheerful and energetic.
Key Points
- Ho said she first met the family about a year ago during a visit to subdivided-unit households in Sheung Shui linked to publicity for the basic housing standards regime
- The mother had been raising her son alone in a unit of about 70 square feet, with a bed immediately inside the door and monthly rent of HK$5,500.
- Officials recommended the transitional housing project Pok Oi Sing Ping Village, which offers a free shuttle minibus to Sheung Shui MTR Station, and the family moved in about one month later.
- On the latest visit, Ho said the mother reported lower rental pressure, a cleaner environment, fresher air and more study space for her son, whose school results had improved.
- Ho also described community facilities including a canteen, service centre, free chilled meal distribution with Food Angel, and a shared fridge for residents to exchange surplus food
Why It Matters
Ho used the revisit to argue that action on subdivided flats, the basic housing standards policy, faster public housing supply, Light Public Housing and transitional housing can work together to support low-income residents. The case also offers a concrete example of how housing policy is being presented not only as a supply measure, but as a way to improve family stability and children's living environment.