Housing chief visits Choi Shek Estate to study services
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Housing Secretary Winnie Ho Wing-yin and Sophia Chan Siu-chee, director of the University of Hong Kong’s Centre for Primary Care and Health Education, recently visited Choi Shek Estate in Sheung Shui to inspect the estate’s design and discuss whether medical faculty staff and students could serve residents there in future. Ho said the government’s “well-being design” concept is now visible across new public housing estates, with space set aside so social services can better support residents.
Key Points
- Ho said the “well-being design” approach has gradually refreshed existing estates and is built into new estates to add colour, strengthen community atmosphere and improve daily living.
- At the estate entrance, the pair saw a plaza for residents to rest and chat, next to a mobile service station where service vehicles can park and connect to power.
- On the podium, they viewed a walking trail around landscaped areas, aimed at encouraging exercise, healthy living and greener lifestyles for residents of different ages.
- The estate also includes “tea house” social seating with tables and varied seat heights, designed to support neighbourly interaction, family-community links and intergenerational inclusion.
- Chan praised armrests on the social seats, corridor leaning benches and handrails for helping elderly residents, while community-created murals were presented as part of the estate’s local identity.
Why It Matters
The visit points to a practical effort to combine estate design with on-site community and health support, rather than treating housing and services separately. If expanded, the model could give residents easier access to outreach activities and strengthen ties between universities, service providers and public housing communities.