URA

CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY 44 Reaching Out to the Community Our care for the people extends beyond our urban renewal works. We bring love and care to the residents of old districts through a series of programmes under the Community Service Partnership Scheme (CSPS), which is a collaboration between the URA, universities and NGOs. A total of six service programmes were organised in 2017/18 to serve underprivileged children and their families, senior citizens and ethnic minorities in Sham Shui Po, Yau Tsim Mong, Kowloon City, and Central and Western District. Among these programmes was a new initiative, in partnership with the Architectural Society of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association (HKYWCA), in which volunteers transformed used wine crates into tailor-made home furniture for low-income families in the Central and Western District. Since the launch of CSPS in 2012, some 7,800 service hours have been logged by over 1,000 URA staff member and university student volunteers for the benefit of over 1,850 people. Caring the Underprivileged Besides adopting a people-oriented approach when delivering our core businesses of redevelopment and rehabilitation, the URA also seeks opportunities to engage our partners to help people in need with our available resources. The lack of affordable housing is a key issue affecting the state of poverty in Hong Kong. Low-income families not living in public rental housing have no choice but to reside in appalling flats or sub-divided units or cubicles. During 2017/18, the URA has continued to offer some renovated flats in the acquired properties at Wing Lee Street to NGOs and SEs – including the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, Light Be, and the International Social Service (Hong Kong Branch) – so that they can arrange short-term tenancies at below market rent for the underprivileged. The URA has also rendered more properties for concessionary tenancy both in our acquired properties and dedicated preserved historical buildings to these same NGOs and SEs, as well as to the Association of the Hong Kong Central and Western District Limited, Mighty Oaks, Social Venture Hong Kong, and New Life Rehabilitation. During the year, and with the Transport and Housing Bureau’s support, the URA has worked closely with the HKCSS on the Community Housing Movement to provide temporary housing for needy families and individuals. Thus far, at our rehousing blocks in Soy Street, Mong Kok, and Shun Sing Mansion in Kennedy Town, 14 and 39 units respectively have been leased out to the HKCSS. A student volunteer is helping a beneficiary of the Community Service Partnership Scheme to make Lunar New Year decorations at one of the Chinese handcraft workshops. URA supports the “Community Housing Movement” to provide temporary housing for needy families. Ms Leung and her daughter moved out from sub-divided unit and are now residing in the URA Rehousing Block with better living environment. Student volunteers of CSPS programmes and URA staff tailor-make furniture for families in need in Central & Western District by upcycling wine crates.