Policy solution. Homeless | Hong Kong only discriminates and does not pay attention to the friendly policies of the United States, Japan and Taiwan, leading to social inclusion

The homeless people who were abandoned by the government filed a claim for 100 yuan, causing a social uproar.

Some folk voices believe that the verdict is just trampling on dignity.

Wu Weidong, director of the Hong Kong Association of Community Organizations (Social Association), who has served the homeless for many years, has said many times that cities such as New York, Tokyo, and Taipei in the United States have advanced practices in dealing with the homeless, which are worth learning from Hong Kong.

However, few scholars in Hong Kong have studied the issue of homelessness, although civil society has submitted several opinions to the authorities on the establishment of a homeless policy and tried to make an appointment for discussion, but in the end it was only unsuccessful.

How long will Hong Kong delay the establishment of a "homeless-friendly policy"?

"Homeless Friendly Policies" Report 2 bis

The movie "Drifting on Turbid Water" reflects the actual situation of the homeless in Hong Kong facing the society.

(movie stills)

The society only has "discrimination" but no "value"

In Hong Kong, which believes in fundamentalist capitalism, the success or failure of the rich and the poor is tied to individual struggles, and the phenomenon of homelessness is often regarded as "not working hard enough".

However, times have changed, not to mention whether ordinary people can achieve success through hard work, the causes of homeless living at the grassroots level are more complex, there are not only economic difficulties caused by deep-seated contradictions, but also insufficient security caused by insufficient allocation of public resources. There are family conflicts brought about by social transformation, and it is difficult to simply blame personal problems.

A recent survey conducted by the SWD for street sleepers found that the most common reason for street sleepers was the inability to pay rent due to unemployment, accounting for 36%; 14% of street sleepers were unable to find affordable accommodation.

According to the Legislative Council document, 48.3% of street sleepers mainly rely on government assistance (especially CSSA) for their livelihood, and 31.2% of the homeless rely on non-governmental organizations and peer support.

The Yunus Center for Social Services of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, together with six NGOs providing homeless services, also jointly published the "Hong Kong Homeless Demographic Survey 2021 Survey Brief Report" last year, and it was mentioned that 16.8% of the Street sleepers choose to live on the streets because of problems getting along with their family members or roommates; as for the reasons for not being able to escape from the street life, 49.7% of them are due to the high rent of private housing, 40.8% of them are unstable or without a job, and 24.4% of them said that their income too low.

Even though the three integrated service teams for street sleepers subsidized by the SWD have been helping to break away from street sleeping, the data shows that in 2020-2021, only 313 cases have been followed up and have not been sleeping on the streets again.

Wu Weidong has been serving the homeless for many years, and he often hears unfriendly remarks from citizens who can afford housing to the penniless homeless.

In the trial of this case, which was decided recently, the judge said that it was difficult to prove that the government workers who "cleared the field" were malicious, and also asked the homeless to prove the value of their belongings.

Wu Weidong believes that the LCSD will certainly not admit to targeting the homeless, but the actions have already caused them harm.

He also lamented that Hong Kong society often does not see the acceptance of marginalized groups in Hong Kong society. On the other hand, in New York, Taipei and Tokyo, the government has already established a department responsible for homeless affairs, and the social atmosphere will become friendly and inclusive.

Wu Weidong, director of the social association, believes that the government has no sincerity in setting up policies to protect the homeless.

(Photo by Zheng Zifeng)

New York: Open-mindedness and dwelling first

Street sleepers are not only homeless, but also face difficulties in employment, interpersonal relationships, broken families or criminal records in their lives. The embarrassment of life makes them unable to change the status quo, and can only keep spinning in the whirlpool of derailment.

Even in New York, the United States, which is also an international metropolis, the number of homeless people in 2020 has exceeded 90,000, but the policy stance is very different from that of Hong Kong.

The New York State and New York City governments agreed to provide temporary housing for homeless men in the 1980s, and homeless women were covered two years later.

Since the 1990s, the New York government has promoted the "Housing First Approach" policy, which not only provides long-term accommodation for the homeless, first meeting basic needs such as food and shelter, but also assists them in dealing with personal problems, such as helping them find jobs, Control income and expenditure, pursue material life and other goals, gradually return to the right track of life to get rid of difficulties in the long run, and avoid returning to the street again.

In 1993, the New York government established the Department of Homeless Services, a specialized department to assist tens of thousands of homeless people.

According to the official website of the New York Homeless Services Agency, the department currently has 2,000 staff and an annual operating budget of more than $2 billion, dedicated to preventing and solving the problem of homelessness in New York.

A complete annual report on New York's homeless situation and statistics is available on the website, and updated in real time, so that the government and society can understand the latest situation.

It is worth mentioning that New York City revised its administrative regulations in 2017 to protect the mental health of the homeless and provide them with mental health services. The use of services, types of psychological treatment, etc. are introduced in detail, and the latest 2020 report available on the website also introduces special psychological conditions during the new crown epidemic.

In 2014, Wu Weidong went to New York with students from the Department of Social Work of the City University of Hong Kong to meet with the director of the New York Homeless Service.

He is still impressed by New York's open-minded attitude. "New York City clearly stipulates that some parks allow rough sleeping, while others are not." The Homeless Services Agency regularly reviews services, handles complaints, and submits annual reports to the government, but Hong Kong has not yet Create a unit dedicated to dealing with homelessness.

He also mentioned that the local area adheres to the principle of "residence first". Even if some homeless people have mental illness, emotional illness or drug addiction, they will be arranged to live first. There are psychological counselors, doctors and nurses in the dormitory, while there are no homeless people in Hong Kong. There are many restrictions on the accommodation of family members, and there is a lack of sufficient supporting medical resources.

New York established the Homeless Services Agency in 1993.

(File photo/AP)

Taipei: friendly attitude and diverse services

The Taipei authorities have a very friendly attitude towards the homeless and list or resettle the homeless, while the Hong Kong Social Welfare Department only registers the homeless and has no resettlement policy to follow up.

Article 17 of Taipei's "Social Assistance Law" (homeless resettlement and counseling) stipulates that "if the police agency finds a homeless homeless person, unless otherwise provided by other laws, it shall notify the social and administrative agency (unit) to jointly deal with it, and Identify their identities and assist in escorting them to social assistance agencies or social welfare institutions for placement counseling; if their identities are identified, their family members will be notified immediately. Those who do not wish to accept placement will be listed and provided with social welfare-related information. Resettlement of homeless people Regulations on guidance and guidance shall be determined by the municipal and county (city) competent authorities.”

The Social Affairs Bureau of the Taipei City Government provides "homeless services", covering a wide range, including short-term resettlement to meet basic needs, medical security services, assistance in employment counseling, short-term and evacuated resettlement care, etc., and also provides "warm winter" services. When the weather is bad or the cold wave is about to strike, the non-governmental organizations provide warm clothing and open temporary shelters.

Not only that, the Taipei authorities also provide the homeless community with the opportunity to send workers to participate in the maintenance of community cleaning services to earn living expenses, and provide living allowances to help them rent houses and help them regain their dignity in life.

Regarding the situation of Hong Kong's homeless people being repeatedly discarded by the authorities, Wu Weidong believes that he should learn from Taipei.

In 2015, the Taiwan authorities decided to uniformly distribute large bags to the homeless for them to place their belongings, after Taiwan's civic groups made continuous efforts to discuss with the government the issue of the placement of the homeless.

If the homeless leave the camp during the day, they can put the bag in a designated place and be supervised by a special person. Only the items not put in the bag will be cleaned up.

Japanese authorities are committed to helping the homeless become self-reliant.

(File photo/AP)

Tokyo: Emphasis on self-reliance to regain life

The Japanese government realized more than 20 years ago that living on the streets is not just a personal problem, but poverty caused by structural problems such as economic depression. In terms of employment and housing for the homeless, it regards the homeless as a problem that the government and citizens should embrace and solve, and is committed to helping the homeless get rid of absolute poverty.

The legislation is based on the basic national policy, emphasizing the provision of employment assistance to help the homeless achieve self-reliance, ensuring that the homeless can have a stable home after employment and leaving the support center.

In the legislation, the homeless are defined as those who live in city parks, river banks, roads, stations or other public facilities, and the central government establishes basic policies to support homeless self-reliance. Implement appropriate assistance programs; in addition, central and local governments regularly collaborate to conduct nationwide homeless surveys.

In Tokyo, the metropolitan city of Japan, the homeless people who are assisted by the self-reliance support system will first be arranged to enter the self-reliance support center, and will be provided with temporary emergency accommodation, food and clothing for a period of two weeks, during which the homeless will receive physical and assessment of mental status.

Those who are assessed to be able to work will continue to stay in the support center and receive employment and other support; if the homeless are assessed to be incapable of being self-reliant, they will be transferred to other welfare facilities, or arranged to receive other public assistance according to their needs .

The Self-Reliance Support Center is the focus of Tokyo's homeless services, mainly featuring accommodation, employment assistance, and follow-up support services.

It is worth noting that although the time limit for temporary accommodation in Tokyo is only no more than six months, during the stay, residents can receive comprehensive support in various aspects such as life counseling, health, psychology, housing and legal counseling to improve their living conditions. The ability to be self-reliant.

The Employment Council provides job-hunting information, holds seminars to provide some guidance, and from time to time, the Employment Council and private companies jointly organize a career experience program. Residents can work short-term and receive incentives through the program.

As for the residents who leave, the support center will provide different forms of services such as regular home visits, sharing sessions, and career and legal counseling within a year.

At the same time, the Tokyo government has been holding public lectures on the human rights of the homeless in an attempt to eliminate discrimination and prejudice in society. Human rights education and teaching guidelines in public schools will also cover the human rights of the homeless to deepen public understanding.

Hong Kong society is accustomed to attributing one's fate to one's fate, but this must not be an incompetent excuse for the government to ignore marginalized groups.

For the homeless, the authorities must set up a special department as soon as possible to protect the rights and well-being of the homeless, and take the lead in reversing the unfriendly and intolerant society towards them.

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