In
1945, Hong Kong emerged from the Japanese occupation
in a state of destitution, caused by shelling and
air raids during the war. Out of a population of 600,000,
one in four was homeless. Others suffered privations
of varying degrees.
This
was then followed by an influx of refugees into Hong
Kong. The impact this had on housing was devastating.
There was at that time no Government housing scheme,
let alone housing subsidies. (The former Housing Authority
was set up in 1954.) What Hong Kong had, were a few
conscientious members of the community who volunteered
to dedicate their time and talents to help those in
need. In 1948, with a donation of £14,000 from
the Air Raid Distress Fund of the Lord Mayor of London,
they founded a non-profit making organization to help
those in need of housing. After 60 years, this organization
has grown to the Hong Kong Housing Society, as we
know it today.
Since
its inception, the Housing Society has endeavoured
to provide affordable housing and related services
for the people of Hong Kong. It has also pioneered
in many areas: for example, we took the lead in introducing
professional housing management expertise from UK
to manage its rental estates; developed sandwich class
housing; implemented various loan schemes for the
Government; developed senior citizen housing,
participated in urban renewal and assisted owners of
old private buildings in building management and
maintenance.
The Housing Society also aims to meet niche markets and fill the gap between the private market and the government. We have carried out all our activities with either our own financial resources or in partnership with the government.
With
a mature corporate governance structure and a strong
and efficient management team, we have been able to
fulfill our social mission and rise to all the challenges
over half a century. In the coming years, we will
continue to explore new opportunities and move forward
with Hong Kong so that we can better serve our people.
The Housing Society will continue to provide quality housing for society.
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