Yau Ma Tei living room expands space for families
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s Community Living Room programme has added a new site in Yau Ma Tei, giving residents of subdivided flats access to shared household facilities and places for children to study and play. The centre is intended to ease the pressure on families living in extremely cramped homes and to create more opportunities for neighbourly contact.
Key Points
- Subdivided flats in Hong Kong are typically created by splitting one flat into several units of about 50 to 100 square feet each.
- Many families in these units must squeeze sleeping and storage into one room, with only very small kitchen and bathroom facilities attached.
- The government’s Community Living Room programme targets districts with many subdivided flats and provides extra living space plus opportunities for residents to socialise.
- The Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room opened earlier this year, was co-funded by DBS Foundation, and is managed by Tung Wah Group of Hospitals.
- Supervisor Jelly Chan said Yau Ma Tei and the wider Yau Tsim Mong district have relatively large numbers of subdivided flats, and the centre hopes to serve those households.
- Facilities at the new site include a prep kitchen, shower-equipped bathrooms, laundry rooms with washing and drying machines, a children’s play area and a youth recreation space.
Why It Matters
For families who cannot fit basic daily activities comfortably into their homes, access to a shared kitchen, laundry and study space can change how they manage work, childcare and rest. The programme also adds a community support point in a district where subdivided flats are heavily concentrated.