Compiling a set of housing concerns on a housing theme: an illustration

Compiling a set of housing concerns on a housing theme: an illustration

I. Housing theme: homelessness in Hong Kong

II. Study note covering 3 news articles on housing concerns in Hong Kong [The key words that express specific concerns related to homelessness are in bold type]

News article 1: Siu, P. 2018. "Number of registered Hong Kong homeless soars as sky-high rents force people to sleep rough" South China Morning Post May 2 (url address: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2144384/number-registered-hong-kong-homeless-soars-sky-high-rents) [visited at June 14, 2018].

Point 1.1. "Official figures tabled to the Legislative Council on Wednesday showed there were 1,127 registered street sleepers in the year 2017-18, up 21.9 per cent from 924 in 2016-17. The latest figure was an increase of 51 per cent from 2013-14. But one community worker said even those numbers might not give the whole picture. “We have always felt that the government’s figures are underestimated,” said Richard Tsoi Yiu-cheong, a community organiser with the Society for Community Organisation (SoCo), which helps street sleepers. “Studies conducted by academics and non-governmental organisations have put the figure at about 2,000";

Point 1.2. "....“The problem with the government’s handling of the street sleepers is that you don’t know which department is responsible for this issue [on street sleepers]. The Social Welfare Department is involved and so is the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.”...";

Point 1.3. "High property prices and rents have been perennial complaints among Hongkongers. The Rating and Valuation Department’s rental index for March reached 189.8, up from 152.1 five years ago";

News article 2: Su, X.Q. 2018. "Fears for homeless set to be evicted from Hong Kong pier as temperature drop" South China Morning Post January 8 (url address: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2127348/fears-homeless-set-be-evicted-hong-kong-pier-temperatures) [visited at June 14, 2018]

Point 2.1.: "Eight street sleepers who have been living at Kwun Tong Public Pier for as long as three years were ordered by the Lands Department and the Transport Department on December 28 to leave by January 12. The Lands Department, citing the Land Ordinance, said the eight had committed “unlawful occupation of unleased land”. Liu Kin-wai, a senior transport officer responsible for public transport issues in Kwun Tong, said the authority was trying to “maintain the normal operations of the public pier”...";

Point 2.2.: "According to the Land Ordinance, if the street sleepers were found guilty of refusing to leave, they could each be fined at least HK$500,000, HK$50,000 for each additional day of “continuous offence” and imprisoned for six months.

Point 2.3.: Ng Wai-tung, a community organiser with the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) who has been helping the street sleepers, said the eight were worried about how to cope with the low temperatures – which were set to dip to eight degrees Celsius on Tuesday, with strong winds and light rain";

News article 3: Su, X.Q. 2018. "Hong Kong's McSleeper trend rises 50 per cent in three years, as NGO highlights vulnerability of women in the group" South China Morning Post March 4 (url address: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2135647/hong-kongs-mcsleeper-trend-rises-50-cent-three-years-ngo) [visited at June 14, 2018].

Point 3.1.: "The number of homeless people in Hong Kong who spend their nights in 24-hour branches of a popular fast food chain has increased by 50 per cent in three years, according to an NGO highlighting the vulnerability of women in the group [of McSleepers]....    There were 384 such people this year, compared with 256 in 2015, a study conducted by the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) found. Called McSleepers or McRefugees, they are known for seeking overnight shelter at McDonald’s outlets around the city....";

Point 3.2.: "SoCO also conducted follow-up surveys with 116 of the 384 people, and found that 11.2 per cent – or 13 individuals – were female. Most of the women said they chose to stay overnight in the outlets because they felt safer. Other reasons included a preference for air-conditioned and clean environments.....  “I didn’t want to stay there any more,” Monitor said. “Because there were bullies, thefts, and sexual harassment among the 20 female members...";

The study note on housing concerns related to "homelessness in Hong Kong" informs researchers to construct "a diagram on homeless-related housing concerns " in the agile literature review approach (ALRA).