Bringing Different Races Together– Community Centres

• Meeting place for different racial groups in the same estate

• Interaction encouraged tolerance & understanding

• Wide range of activities organised

– Limit placed on proportion of races in every neighbourhood and block (March 1989)

1.5 Promoting Social Cohesion

Bringing Different Races Together– 1980 : Govt observed certain housing

estates had higher concentrations of the same race

– Malay : Bedok, Tampines– Chinese : Hougang, Ang Mo Kio– Racial congregation the result of a free

market– This could hinder social bonding– Mar 1989 : Limit placed on proportion

of races in every neighbourhood and block

– Aim to encourage people of different races to reside within a block

1.5 Promoting Social Cohesion

Source : SS Teachers’ Resource CD (Upper Sec)/Practice of Good Governance CDR1/SSS4RCD_A/03/Urban Renewal/1:54

1.5 Promoting Social Cohesion

Meeting Needs of Different Income Groups– Housing and Urban Development Corporation

(HUDC)• Provide housing for the middle-income

group– HDB built bigger flats with better designs

• Tampines and Choa Chu Kang– 1995 : Executive Condominium

• Built by private sector• Will become private property after a

certain number of years• Located in HDB housing estates• Swimming pools and tennis courts

– Mixture of smaller and bigger flats• Interaction between different income

groups

1.5 Promoting Social Cohesion

Building a Sense of Belonging– End 1970s : Precinct Concept

• The precinct as the basic planning unit of a new town

• Precinct : Group of 4-8 blocks with a central spce; a few basic facilities to serve as focal point for residents

• To build up community spirit

1.5 Promoting Social Cohesion

Building a Sense of BelongingResidents’ Committees (RCs)– Set up in 1978– Allow involvement of residents in

matters directly concerning them– Encourages greater participation

from the people in communal and social activities

– Foster community identity– Promotes neighbourliness &

identity among residents

1.5 Promoting Social Cohesion

Building a Sense of Belonging– 1989 : Town Councils

• HDB Estate management functions transferred to TCs

• Residents given greater say in running own estates

• TCs services : Collection of conservancy fees; landscaping, maintenance of essential services eg lift-rescue

• Estb stronger community ties

1.5 Promoting Social Cohesion

Meeting Needs of Single Citizens– 35 years old singles can buy resale flats– CPF Housing Grant for single citizens

Meeting Needs of Senior Citizens– Building of Studio Apartments

• Non-slip floors, pull-cords alarm system– Improving HDB’s rental blocks resided by senior

citizens• Lifts stopping at every lift, handrails, activity

centre

1.6 Looking Ahead

Renewing Old Estates– Upgrading

• Balcony• Utility Room• Improved Lift Lobby• Linkways / Covered

shelters• Communal facilities

– Residents’ choice of upgrading

• 75% agreement required

• Cost of upgrading shared by people and government

Looking Ahead

High density housing in Hong Kong

Large-scale immigration– Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)– Communist takeover in China (1949)

Post-war baby boom No Government planning

– Provision of public housing left to private developers

– Not enough homes built

The Housing Problem2.1

Fire at Shek Kip Mei Christmas Day 1953

– Forced government to be more active in providing public housing

– Eight blocks of flats built in 1954 to settle the fire victims

– More housing estates were also built to resettle people from the fire-prone squatters

– Flats constructed remained overcrowded and lacking of hygiene and facilities

Resettling Squatters and Fire Victims2.2

Rental Housing– Low-cost rental housing scheme for lower-

income families– Involvement of government-financed agencies

– Building flats of higher standard

Temporary Housing Areas (THAs)– For homeless people who were not victims of

natural disasters or residents of squatters– Materials to be provided by government– Became a permanent feature in Hong Kong

Housing Lower-Income Families2.3

The Hong Kong Housing Authority (1973)– To co-ordinate all aspects of public

housing– Self-contained new towns proposed

– Towns having their own facilities

Providing Quality Homes2.4

The Hong Kong Housing Authority (1973)

The Hong Kong Housing Authority (1973)

New Towns– New Territories identified– Villages became large high-rise towns

– Sha Tin– Other problems arose

– Reluctance of employers to set up business in new town due to lack of proper infrastructure

– Workers unwilling to receive lower pay

Providing Quality Homes

Hopes to change from homeless immigrant society to home-owning society– Home Ownership Scheme

– Flats sold at subsidised rates– Sale of flats not allowed within five years

– Private Sector Participation Scheme– Private developers allowed to buy land to

build flats– Prices of flats to be 30-50% lower than

market price– Sale of flats not allowed within five years

Encouraging Home Ownership2.5

Encouraging Home Ownership

1985

%

1990

%

1995

%

% of households –

owner occupants

27.9 35.1 42.6

% of households –

rented

Not Available

Not Available

53.0

Source : www.unchs.org/habrdd/conditions/ eastasia/hongkong.htm

2.5

Conversion of resettlement flats into larger self-contained flats– Building of recreational & educational facilities

– Schools, playgrounds and shopping centres

Redevelopment Programme– Demolishing existing buildings and rebuilding

them into self-contained community estates– Shek Kip Mei

Modernising Old Estates2.6

Welfare premises on the ground floor Sheltered housing on the lower floors Installation of alarm systems

Housing Senior Citizens2.7

Conclusion Importance of Government’s role in housing

• Need to strike a balance between people’s expectations and availability of resources

Housing Senior Citizens

Acknowledgement : Adaptation of text by Mr Robin Leong, East Spring Sec School

2.7