Honoured to have hosted last week’s seminar under the The Hong Kong Jockey Club “Linking Hub” Project – Community Support Service for Sub-divided Unit Families, and to help bring these important findings into a shared conversation among practitioners, funders and researchers.
Prof. Frances YW Law‘s presentation highlighted encouraging evaluation results: over the observation period, participating SDU families reported strengthened mental well-being and social support, enhanced parenting competence, and improvements in both family and children’s quality of life. These changes reflect how the four NGOs’ interventions have focused on building families’ capabilities and resilience, with living environment improvements positioned as secondary but still meaningful outcomes.
At the same time, Prof. Chenhong PENG reminded us that SDU families continue to face persistent challenges that go beyond “crowded housing” alone. Many child‑rearing families struggle with childcare access, safe and age‑appropriate play space, and opportunities for skills and hobby development for their children, while a substantial number are also navigating the additional demands associated with special educational needs (SEN). These intersecting needs show how inadequate housing can constrain family functioning, parental well‑being, and children’s developmental opportunities over time.
This project is funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and implemented in close collaboration with four NGO partners who have been providing tailored community support to SDU families waiting for public rental housing. Their frontline efforts, combined with systematic evaluation, demonstrate the critical role of community‑based intervention in mitigating the harms of inadequate housing while we continue to advocate for longer‑term policy and housing solutions.
Grateful to Prof. Law, Prof. Peng and all NGO colleagues for their generous sharing and ongoing partnership, and I look forward to further dialogue on how we can better support SDU families in childcare, play and learning space, and SEN support within the constraints of current housing conditions.
Please stay tuned for our next seminar! 😄
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