2022/23 is a year of highs and lows, both of which are opportunities for us to grow stronger and get closer connection with our stakeholders. It began with the toughest battle against the pandemic, with a record high of local COVID-19 cases in the first quarter of the reporting period. Fortunately, tough times never last. The city resumed normalcy gradually in the last quarter of the year and finally lifted all the mask-wearing requirements in March 2023, which has marked a distinct end to all social distancing measures. Yet, multifaceted challenges are lying ahead, that encompass market volatility, high infiation rate, manpower shortage etc, and we are standing ready for an uphill battle in fulfilling our mission of providing affordable homes for the people of Hong Kong.
The reporting period ended with some good news though — the Housing Society celebrated the 75th anniversary with a series of exciting activities unveiled under the theme “Creating Home for Sustainable Living”. Blissful Place, the third project under the “Senior Citizen Residences Scheme”, was completed, making a significant milestone of our elderly housing since the last project of the same kind completed 20 years ago.
All these ups and downs, tears and laughter, taught us a valuable lesson — we must work together to build a new future that is inclusive, resilient and sustainable.
At the Housing Society, we operated under the shadow of COVID-19 and the social distancing measures in large part of the fiscal year. We managed to keep our business as usual despite having confirmed cases among our colleagues and the people we served. Credit goes to the seamless incorporation of risk assessment into business planning process by our management team, as well as the selfiess dedication of our staff serving in the frontline and also those working for project planning and construction management, who remained steadfast at all times, turning challenges into opportunities with great resilience.
Albeit with all those challenges, we have made a number of significant achievements which have laid a solid foundation not only for our business development, but most importantly, our long-term goal of “Creating Homes for Sustainable Living”.
Good progress was made on planned business initiatives, including the 25 projects under planning or construction, targeting to provide more than 45,000 quality subsidised housing units in the coming 20 years, among which some 35,000 units are being planned for the next 10 years — the highest ever at production volume since our establishment in 1948. Formulation of housing schemes, planning applications and technical feasibility studies for various projects were well on track; construction works, despite certain disruption due to the pandemic, are being carried out full steam ahead; a series of new initiatives were unveiled to promote intergenerational harmony and foster an inclusive community
As an organisation serving the community with a social mission, the Housing Society is committed to walking hand in hand with the people. During the year, rent concessions and relief measures for commercial and domestic tenants continued, giving them the much-needed support in riding out the pandemic. Post-pandemic community care programmes on mental health were organised while shopping coupons, as part of the year-long 75th anniversary with celebrations, were given away to rebuild community vibrancy and improve people’s well-being.
We also reckon that it is of utmost importance to provide a safe and healthy work environment for employees and workers. All of us were grieved by the tragic accident that took place at the Anderson Road Quarry construction site last September. Words cannot fully express our sorrows. While extending our deepest and most sincere condolences to the victims and their families through personal visits and financial support shortly after the incident, we hope that the families could get over the distress and overcome the hard time. Thanks to our well-orchestrated crisis management and communication, we were able to swiftly respond to the concerns of related parties, including offering our best possible assistance to the authority’s investigations, and most importantly, re-examining and conducting comprehensive risk assessments at all ongoing construction projects to reassure safe operations across all fronts of the construction process are well in place and honoured by partner contractors. Medium- and long-term measures have also been devised and implemented, without hesitation, to strengthen the site safety supervision.
GIVING FULL SUPPORT TO THE GOVERNMENT
After the inauguration of the new administration on 1 July 2022, the Hong Kong Government underwent its structural reform with the formation of a dedicated Housing Bureau to oversee all housing issues in Hong Kong. The Chief Executive swiftly announced the establishment of two task forces dedicated to coordinating land and housing supplies, and announced a range of housing initiatives with a view to increasing public housing supply by enhancing quantity, speed, efficiency and quality
As a close partner of the Government, the Housing Society has been operating under the self-financing principle with financial autonomy to provide suitable and quality accommodation for target groups, which meets the housing needs of the community in line with the Government’s housing policies. We are committed to rendering full support within our capacity to the Government on flat production with innovative and out-of-the-box mentality
To fully back the Government’s development clearance exercises, as well as the Urban Renewal Authority’s redevelopment projects, the Housing Society is entrusted by the Government to develop several Dedicated Rehousing Estate (DRE) projects that provide non-means tested rehousing arrangements for eligible affected households. The first two DRE projects on Pak Wo Road in Fanling and Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (NDA), scheduled for completion starting from 2024, are progressing steadily, altogether providing more than 4,000 units in phases comprising both rental units and Subsidised Sale Flats (SSF). In addition, foundation work at another DRE project at Kwu Tung North NDA is underway, underscoring the Housing Society’s commitment in seizing opportunities derived from the development engine of the Northern Metropolis pressed ahead by the Government.
As the Northern Metropolis is anticipated to be an international innovation and technology hub, the Housing Society has set up Hong Kong’s first PropTech co-working space in its new regional office in Fanling. Following the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Cyberport in October 2022, the detailed collaboration agreement was concluded in March 2023. Not only will this initiative support our business development and growth, but with the funding and facilities we provided for PropTech start-ups, it will also encourage young technology entrepreneurs to unleash their creativity to develop new PropTech solutions to transform Hong Kong into a smart city that is good for people to live and work in.
BUILDING AND MANAGING QUALITY HOMES WITH INNOVATION
Innovation is in the DNA of the Housing Society. As Hong Kong’s “housing laboratory”, we strive to undertake trials and pursue new and first-of-a-kind initiatives to create quality and affordable housing for the community, including smart construction which plays a pivotal role in enhancing productivity, quality, safety, and most importantly construction sustainability. The adoption of Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) is one such initiative. We were proud to take the lead in introducing MiC in 2018 for public housing projects, and currently we have piloted this innovative construction method at three of our projects. During the year, the DRE of Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen NDA Phase IA built with MiC in concrete was named “Outstanding MiC Project”, setting a reference for the industry. Besides, our projects will fully adopt Building Information Modelling (BIM) that does not only facilitate more efficient project management during the construction stage but also provide a powerful platform for effective building maintenance in the long run.
REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE IN NEED
As an organisation that has been growing together with Hong Kong for 75 years, the Housing Society is committed to serving the community with heart. When the community was in a tough battle against the fifth wave of pandemic last year, our multi-disciplinary CES (Caring, Engaging and Smart) Team offered timely relief to the needy tenants such as handing out anti-epidemic products and emergency food packs, as well as giving help to apply for anti-epidemic fund. The strong supportive network provided by the CES Team and the caring visits, as well as group activities and events organised, has kept the elderly tenants socially connected during and after the pandemic. Furthermore, as surveys revealed that people were coping with varying levels of prolonged stress and anxiety in the post-pandemic period, the Housing Society launched another round of the Community Care Campaign in December 2022 to promote greater awareness of physical and mental well-being under the new normal.
CREATING HOMES FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING
As the theme of the 75th anniversary with “Creating Homes for Sustainable Living” goes, sustainable development is not merely a catchphrase at the Housing Society but an integral part of the entire strategic planning process. Sustainable design principles were adopted in the planning of new developments. Our housing projects feature a diverse mix of unit types together with various community facilities to meet the needs of future residents as well as neighbouring communities, creating an integrated and sustainable living environments that foster intergenerational solidarity
An 18-month intergenerational living study that seeks to explore new housing prototypes to cater for people of all ages was completed in December 2022. Findings of the study will form a solid basis of the Housing Society’s corporate development direction of fostering an inclusive, supportive intergenerational living in both residential and commercial portions of our future projects.
MAINTAINING SOUND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
With an unprecedented construction peak, the capital commitment is very substantial. A Task Force on Financing was set up by the Executive Committee in late 2020 to address the Housing Society’s funding needs in the coming years. A financing plan is underway to map out funding options including fundraising through loans and consolidating investment portfolios. As a not-for-profit organisation operating on self-financing principles, the Housing Society will ensure that all housing schemes are executed with proper planning and resources are managed with prudent risk management.
75 YEARS OF TOGETHERNESS
During the year, the Housing Society won local and international acclaim in recognition of its outstanding performances. My heartfelt thanks go to everyone at the Housing Society for making the impossible possible.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude in particular to all Members of the Supervisory Board, Executive Committee and other Committees for their unfailing support and valuable advice in good times and bad times throughout the year, steering the Housing Society to further growth and success, despite the highly volatile environment. Thanks also go to the Management and more than 1,400 fellow colleagues, who lie at heart of and the major source of pride for the Housing Society
In the spirit of innovation, the Housing Society has been constantly adapting to the wheel of time. For the past 75 years we have successfully completed 100 projects resulting in 74,000 residential units that meet the evolving housing needs of Hong Kong people. Looking ahead, the Housing Society will continue to stay innovative, playing its unique role as a “housing laboratory” in support of Hong Kong’s development. Being part of the community, the Housing Society shares the pride of Hong Kong people who have played a greater part in the success of the city. Together, we will continue to reach new heights towards a more sustainable and liveable environment, and to a brighter future of Hong Kong.
