Pok Oi Hospital • Henderson Land Group Launch Transitional Housing Project in Kong Ha Wai, Yuen Long, Fostering Social Harmony and Alleviating Housing Pressure with 2,000 Residential Units for the Underprivileged
03.31.2021
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To address the housing needs of low-income families, the HKSAR Government has launched the “Funding Scheme to Support Transitional Housing Projects by Non-government Organisations” to facilitate the development of transitional housing initiatives. The Scheme—facilitated, assisted, supervised and funded by the Task Force on Transitional Housing under the Transport and Housing Bureau, implemented by Non-government Organizations (NGOs), and supported by the private sector—sets out to provide temporary housing for grassroots families who have been waiting for public housing. “Pok Oi Hospital•Henderson Land Group – Transitional Housing Project in Kong Ha Wai, Yuen Long”, the largest of its kind in Hong Kong, is about to commence. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on 29th March, 2021 (Monday).
Co-hosts of the Groundbreaking Ceremony alongside the officiating guests Mrs. Carrie LAM CHENG Yuet-ngor, GBM, GBS, the Chief Executive of HKSAR and Mr. Frank CHAN Fan, JP, Secretary for Transport and Housing were Mr. Martin LEE Ka-shing, JP, Chairman of Henderson Land Group and Mrs. Josephine KAN CHAN Kit-har, Chairman of the 71st Board of Directors of Pok Oi Hospital. Also joining the Ceremony on stage were Mr. Augustine WONG Ho-ming, Executive Director of Henderson Land Group; Mr. Kenneth LAU Ip-keung, BBS, MH, JP, Executive Council member and Chairman of Heung Yee Kuk, N.T. and Dr. Jim LEE, Chairman-designate of the Board of Directors of Pok Oi Hospital. The Groundbreaking Ceremony marks the commencement of construction.
Covering about 480,000 square feet, the “Pok Oi Hospital Henderson Land Group – Transitional Housing Project in Kong Ha Wai, Yuen Long” is a joint collaboration between the Government, the business sector and NGO. The parcel of land was lent by Henderson Land Group for nominal HK$1, and is supervised by the Transport and Housing Bureau with about HK$1.1 billion in funding. Pok Oi is responsible for coordinating the construction works and operating the housing units on a non-profit-making basis. The residential units will be provided to low-income families who have been on the public housing waiting list for three or more years and to those who are living in dire conditions or with critical needs.
The project will employ a highly efficient and environmentally friendly building approach called Modular Integrated Construction (MiC). It will provide a total of 1,998 units of varying types and sizes, including units for 1-2 persons, 3-4 persons and 5-6 persons, as well as barrier-free ones. The whole project is expected to accommodate nearly 40,000 underprivileged residents in the following seven years, and the first batch of units will be ready for move-in in the first quarter of next year. In addition to easing the housing demand of low-income families waiting for public housing, Pok Oi Hospital will introduce and offer a number of community services and amenities in the area—from extending the existing medical services and providing elderly day-care services, youth services, and children and family services, to building a supermarket, a community canteen and other facilities—with the goal of creating a close-knit community of shared resources.
Mr. Martin LEE Ka-shing, JP, Chairman of Henderson Land Group, said: “Henderson Land has always cared about the housing needs of low-income families. We are the first enterprise to participate in the Government’s community housing schemes, and this Kong Ha Wai project is the largest of its kind in Hong Kong. We’ve also taken the initiative to revitalise the nearby Kong Ha Wai Mansion, a Grade III historic building, to provide future residents, as well as the underprivileged in the area, with a leisure space and a range of community services. I hope that this project, once completed, will be able to enhance the quality of life of thousands of families.”
Mrs. Josephine KAN CHAN Kit-har, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pok Oi Hospital stated that Pok Oi Hospital has been serving Hong Kong citizens for over 100 years. Thanks to the support and collaboration from the Government and various stakeholders in society, Pok Oi has embarked on its first housing project in the new era of its 101st year, continuing its mission of alleviating the plight of the underprivileged while bringing forth a new network of community support.
Groundbreaking Ceremony (Left to right: Mr. Kenneth LAU Ip-keung, Executive Council member and Chairman of Heung Yee Kuk, N.T.; Dr. Jim LEE, Chairman-designate of the Board of Directors of Pok Oi Hospital; Mr. Martin LEE Ka-shing, Chairman of Henderson Land Group; Mrs. Carrie LAM CHENG Yuet-ngor, Chief Executive of HKSAR; Mrs. Josephine KAN CHAN Kit-har, Chairman of the 71st Board of Directors of Pok Oi Hospital; Mr. Frank CHAN Fan, Secretary for Transport and Housing and Mr. Augustine WONG Ho-ming, Executive Director of Henderson Land Group)
