Cage Homes and Old Private Housing Project - SoCO

There is a serious shortage of housing supply in Hong Kong. More than 200,000 grassroots citizen have no choice but to live in sub-divided units, ... CageHomesandOldPrivateHousingProject HomeOurProject CageHomesandOldPrivateHousingProject “APlacetoSettleinto”:HousingIstheBasicRightofEveryone   Since1989,TheSocietyforCommunityOrganization(SoCO)hasbeenpayingattentiontotheproblemsofcagehomes.Althoughthenumberofcagehomeswhicharebuiltbytraditionalbarbedwireshasdroppedsharplyfromnearly150duringthepeakperiod,theriseofcagedcoffincubiclesandpartitionedflatsraisesanotherconcerns.   ThereisaseriousshortageofhousingsupplyinHongKong.Morethan200,000grassrootscitizenhavenochoicebuttoliveinsub-dividedunits,partitionedapartments,bedspaceandotherunpalatablehomeswithunhygienicanddangerousenvironment.Thebasichousingrightsareneglected. “SmallUnit,ExpensiveRent”isadailyportrayalofthesub-dividedunitstenants.Evenworse,underthecurrentlackofrentalcontrol,theunithasbeengreatlyrentedatanytime,andevenforcedtomoveout.Thetenantlackstherighttovoiceout.Attheendoftheday,theresidentscanonlystruggletosurvivethemostbottomlevelwhilethewaitforpublichousingisoutoftheway.   SoCOvisitsthesepoorhouseholdsfromhousetohouse,followsupontheirlivingneeds,andstrivestoimprovehousingpoliciesandlivelihoodprotection.Throughservicesandorganizationworks,wewillimprovethelivingconditionsandstrivefortherealizationofbasichousingrights. Data(2019) Doyouknow?InwealthyHongKong… 21,200familiesliveintemporarystructuressuchashuts,squattersandrooftops 5,600familiesliveinfactorybuildingsandcommercialbuildings 5,800familiesliveinpartitionedapartments,bedspacesandlofts Morethan86,500sub-dividedunitsexist Morethan119,100householdswithmorethan220,000underprivilegedliveintheseunsuitableplaces… OurServices   PolicyImprovement Weorganizethefamiliesfromcagehomes,partitionedapartmentsandsub-dividedunitstoadvocatetheimprovementonhousingandpovertyinoldurbanareasuchasincreasingpublichousing,revisingquotasandpointssystem,settingrentallowances,resettingtenancycontrol,buildingtransitionalhousing,andsupportingtherightsoflow-incomeemployeesandgrassrootsworkersandsoon.Wealsoresearchregularlyontheneedsanddifficultiesandfeasiblepoliciesofgrassrootstenants,throughvarioussocialactionsandinvestigations,arousingpublicconcernonthelivingstandardsofthegrassrootcitizens. TrainingEmpowerment Weprovidetimelyassistanceofhousingandemploymentcounseling,financialsupportandwelfareprojectsforthehouseholdsofcagehomes,partitionedapartmentsandsub-dividedunitsthroughcommunityoutreachvisits,streetinformationstationsanddailyoperationsoftheCentre.Atthesametime,weorganizegrassrootstenantstofightforrightsandinterests,byholdingrelevantconcerngroupsofdifferenthousingpoliciesatregularintervalstotrainresidentleaderstovoiceoutforthegrassrootstenants.Theregulargroupsalsocontributeinbuildingcommunitynetworkamongtheresidents. PovertyAlleviationServices Weprovidematerialsandsupportservicestotheunderprivileged,andcontactdifferentcompaniesandorganizationsindifferentsectors,joininghandstoalleviatepovertyoftheresidents. TheHousingSupport TransitionalSocialHousingService Inadditiontoadvocatingthelong-termhousingpolicy,SoCOalsoproposestoprovideaffordabletransitionalhousingforthegrassrootsintheleasingmarket.Throughthedevelopmentofthe“HappinessxHome”TransitionalCommunityHousingScheme,SoCOoperatessocialrealestateasanon-profit-makingorganisationtoassistownerstorectifytheirflatsandprovideashared,secureandaffordabletransitionalsocialhousingforthegrassrootsfamilieswhoareonthewaitinglistforthepublichousing.TheschemeactsasareferencefortheGovernmenttodevelopcommunityhousinginthefuture. AsofJune2018,“HappinessxHome”hasdevelopedcommunityhousingintheareasofWestCentral,MongKok,CheungShaWan,ToKwaWanandKowloonCity.Uptonow,53grassrootshouseholdshavebenefited.“HappinessxHome”planstolaunch12to15communityhousingunitseachyearinthefuture,whichwillbenefitmorepeopleandfamiliesinneed.   “HomeModification”Scheme Homeisthestartingpointofhopeanddream.Webelievethattheparticipationandassistanceofdifferentsectorsinthecommunitycanimprovethehousingquality,reshapethelivingqualityofthebeneficiaries,allowingtheirchildrentogrowhealthilyfromtheverybeginningofthelifejourney.Atpresent,nearlyone-quarterofthechildreninHongKongliveunderthepovertyline.Itisestimatedthatabout50,000childreninpublichousingestates,suchaspartitionedapartments,sub-dividedunitsandrooftops–theycanonlydotheirhomeworkandplayonbedwithinsucharestrictedspace.Underthe“HomeModification”Schemes,theprofessionalsocialworkersandarchitectsjoinhandstoimprovetheirlivingenvironmentbydesigningcreativefurniturewhichoptimizetheuseofeverysingleinchwithinthelimitedspace.Wealsoprovideone-stopservicestothebeneficiariesincludingon-the-spotcaseconsultation,tailor-madehomeimprovementprogrammes,purchaseofsmallfurnitureappliancesandpost-modificationassessment. 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