The housing shortage problem in Hong Kong is still severe. "Farewell to subdivided housing" and subdivided housing rent control have become hot topics in the city recently.
As one of the oldest charitable organizations in Kowloon, Lok Sin Tong has taken "disaster relief" as its mission. In recent years, it has been committed to developing the transitional social housing project "Le House".
In early November, Lok Sin Tong also participated in an experience sharing session organized by the Transport and Housing Bureau to share its valuable experience in operating Hong Kong’s first remodeled school buildings as transitional housing projects-Lok Sin Tong Primary School, Songhuangtai Modular House and Hotel-style social housing projects.
Since the implementation of the social housing project in 2017, Le Shan Tang has allowed more than 1,000 grassroots and children living in sub-divided housing to obtain "comfortable homes".
Le Shan Tong participated in an experience sharing session organized by the Transport and Housing Bureau to share valuable experience in operating transitional housing.
Although there are windows in the subdivided rooms, they cannot be opened, the family lacks breathing space
Leshantang "Songhuangtai Modular Housing Project" completed all the units occupied in July this year, and Ms. Qin is one of the beneficiary families.
Her family of three, her husband and daughter, originally lived in an 80-foot-long sub-district of a Tang Mansion in To Kwa Wan. There is a kitchen and toilet. Cooking and washing dishes must be done in the toilet. They face long-term hygiene risks.
During the epidemic, although I hope to open the windows to let the air circulate, because the market is downstairs, whenever the windows are opened, in addition to the smell coming into the house, the rats will also take the opportunity to enter the house through the window, making them very disturbed and uneasy. .
Once, Ms. Qin just opened the window slightly to "shake", and a mouse immediately rushed into the house, scaring her to death.
She would also chase the mice with her daughter trembling, and since then they dare not open the window casually.
Ms. Qin originally lived in a sub-house in To Kwa Wan with a family of three
The subdivided housing space is small and cramped, and there is a lack of space for activities, which seriously affects family relations and children's development.
Ms. Qin’s 9-year-old daughter has to lie on the bunk bed every day to do her homework, which has a bad effect on her eyes and spine.
In daily life, if the family wants to set up a table for food, it is also difficult. Each time they have to spend a lot of time to move the sundries away, so that there is enough space to open the dining table and have a "easy" meal.
Ms. Qin recalled: "The room space is small and cramped, and I feel so depressed. I don't have room to vent with my daughter. Sometimes I don't feel like I want to find a place to shake off my breath. At that time, the relationship between my health and my daughter was very poor. "
You can finally breathe fresh air when you move into "Happy House"
Later, after Ms. Qin's family moved into the "Le House" of Songhuangtai, the quality of life was greatly improved.
She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Yijia finally feels good at night. It turns out how happy it is to breathe fresh air every day." She said that her health and emotions are much more stable now, and she gradually found her lost smile. The relationship has also improved greatly.
After Ms. Qin and her daughter moved into the "Le House" of Songhuangtai, their physical and mental health improved greatly.
Ms. Qin’s daughter now has a desk and space to do her homework
Songhuangtai "Le House" 2-3 people unit
Neighbors' mutual aid relationship and harmony
Ms. Qin continued: "I never thought that such a change could be made. Now the space in my home is twice as large as before. In the past, my daughter was afraid of the small size of the house, so she didn't dare to invite friends to play at home, but now she actively invites friends. Come to play and greatly improve her social life."
The biggest design feature of Songhuangtai "Le House" is to retain the original big trees and build a green flower garden area around it to become a shared recreational space for families.
Ms. Qin said with a smile: "In the past, we lived in a sub-family without leaving the house and did not dare to say hello to our neighbors. Now we will take the initiative to get to know the isolated neighbors. We will help each other, such as helping to take care of the children. The other children play like a big sister!” Ms. Qin’s husband’s income has been greatly reduced during the epidemic. After living in a social housing, the financial pressure on their family has been reduced.
The concept of "Le House" is to improve the living environment so that grassroots families can have a comfortable home, thereby improving their physical and mental health and family relations.
Ms. Qin's daughter (middle) plays with other children in the shared lounge space
The design feature of the Songhuangtai "Le House" project is to retain the original big trees and build a green and shared recreational space around.
Responding to the need to continue to launch new projects
In response to social needs, Leshantang continues to launch new transitional social housing projects. In the next two years, 1,547 more transitional social housing units will be built, hoping to help more grassroots families in need.
The latest phase of "Le House" to rebuild a school in Cheung Shan Village in Tsuen Wan has officially accepted applications at the end of October.
The project will provide 145 family units with 3 to 4 persons, and 2 barrier-free units underground with an area of about 18-28 square meters.
Each unit is equipped with a bathroom with shower room and cooking space, and the lease term is not less than two years.
Construction of the reconstruction project started in October this year and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022, and arrangements will be made for families in need to move in.
Reconstruction of Xiangshan Village School in Tsuen Wan into a transitional social housing project
The reconstruction project of Xiangshan Village School in Tsuen Wan is in progress
In addition, Le Shan Tang also launched the "Le Shan Village" and "Chong Hing Choi Hing Road Modular Housing Project" at Huangyutan, Tai Po, providing 1,236 and 166 social housing units respectively. The tendering project will be completed early next year, together with the existing The eight projects in operation will provide a total of nearly 2,000 units, and the number of beneficiaries will exceed 4,000.
Conceptual design drawing of the "Leshan Village" project at Huangyutan, Tai Po
Rainbow Caixing Road Modular Housing Project
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(Information and photos provided by the customer)