Transitional Social Housing Workshop
25/09/2018
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Image: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
"One from Hundred Thousand" Transitional Social Housing pre-symposium co-creation workshop was hosted by the Design Institute for Social Innovation at Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 12 September. Professional participants explored new ways to utilise existing building stock for temporary housing solutions whilst considering issues of heritage preservation, sustainable technologies and community lead planning. 
I was pleased to represent HKIUD as a surgery expert to participants.
Picture
Image: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Why
Transitional Social Housing (TSH) ?

DEMAND

  • More than 92,700 subdivided flats in HK in 2016 - most are converted illegally and in squalid conditions, posing significant health and safety hazards

  • 1,346 applications for 200 transitional rental flats in Yue Kwong Chuen – over-subscribed by 5.73 times

  • Only 640 units are provided in the market in the next 3 years – 140 Light Be and 500 under HKCSS Community Housing Movement 
Picture
image: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
ACUTE HOUSING SHORTAGE

  • 550% increase of "McDonalds" Refugees in HK within 5 years – homelessness and “working poor” issue is intensifying

  • 209,700 people live in substandard sub-divided flats in HK in 2016

  • 280,000 on waiting list for Public Rental Housing (PRH) in July 2018, queue now exceeds 5.3 years
TSH is a social innovation which breaks down the dichotomy of private housing and public housing in serving the housing need of grass-root citizens.

TSH can be a means to revitalise existing resources such as vacant land or buildings to address social needs.

The process of delivery of TSH can facilitate cross-sector collaboration through provision of a co-creation platform to generate innovative yet pragmatic problem-solving approaches/solutions.
Picture
image:The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITIES

Promote know-how sharing and social innovation in TSH delivery :-
  • Build on the great efforts of passionate NGOs in unleashing idle housing resources and breaking the dichotomy of public and private housing in HK

  • Facilitate trans-sector, cross-disciplinary problem solving to develop collaborative strategies and promote systemic changes 

  • Enable experimentation, prototyping and trans- sector cooperation, e.g. retrofitting old buildings with green technology, “co-housing, co-living”, innovative modular housing units that meets HK’s stringent building regulations 

The Chosen Sites 

Each has their own socio-economic and environmental challenges
  1. Ma Wan Old Village, Ma Wan
  2. Old Dairy Farm Staff Quarters, 141 Pokfulam Road
  3. Former S.K.H Stanley Village Primary School, 5 Carmel Road
  4. Former Sze Shan Public School, Cha Kwo Ling Road
  5. Two Sites at the Junction of Yen Chow Street West and Tung Chau Street
  6. Operation and assessment management strategy for individual flats 
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image: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
CHARACTERISTICS
  1. Highly visible by the public as sites remained idle or under-utilised for a long time
  2. Located within developed areas where basic infrastructure already in place
  3. Accessible to transport network
  4. Technically feasible with inter-disciplinary co-design works
  5. Significant potential to inject new life into the local community and promote community cohesion
  6. Local employment opportunities to tenants
  7. Proximity to existing education and healthcare and community service facilities
Picture
image:The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
OBJECTIVES

Explore different possibilities and design solutions to:
  1. Provide TSH & enhance urban infrastructure
  2. Promote community cohesion and social inclusion
  3. Placemaking
  4. Revitalise local community
  5. Promote social innovation, social harmony & achieve poverty relief
  6. Heritage preservation and conservation
Founded in 2012, Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation (DISI) was the first design institute dedicated to social innovation in Asia. DISI contributes to advance PolyU’s University Social Responsibility and aims to become a leading institute to trigger social innovation in all dimensions of the society to improve the well-being of the community and the people.

​The Mission of DISI is to provide an innovative and human-centred platform to ENVISION a better life in the society, to CONNECT people with passion and NUTURE doers of all ages to INNOVATE with collective wisdom to ENABLE impactful action.

The SMART principle of DISI

Design Thinking Approach is ​advocated by DISI

 Empathize – with your users

​ Define – your users’ needs, their problem, and your insights

 Ideate – by challenging assumptions and creating ideas for innovative solutions

 Prototype – to start creating solutions

 Test – solutions