Press Release

HKHS Dedicated Rehousing Estates Supports the Development of Northern Metropolis “Casa Sierra” Completed as an Intergenerational Smart Community

The Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) today (17 March) held the completion ceremony of its first Dedicated Rehousing Estates (DRE) project “Casa Sierra”.  Officiating at the ceremony were Deputy Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Michael Wong, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho, Under Secretary for Development David Lam, HKHS Chairman Prof Ling Kar-kan and HKHS CEO James Chan.  Located on Pak Wo Road in Fanling, “Casa Sierra” is designed with the “mixed development model”, offering rental units and subsidised sale flats as a non-means-tested rehousing option for households affected by the government’s development clearance exercises.  Among the guests were HKHS Members, government officials, Legislative Council and District Council Members and others.

Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong expressed his gratitude to the Housing Society for its continuous efforts in meeting the housing needs of the community, and also being a staunch partner of the Government in providing quality homes for Hong Kong citizens.  He noted that Casa Sierra, a project that is entrusted to the Housing Society by the Development Bureau, is a crucial livelihood project in tandem with the development of the Northern Metropolis. It is also the first housing estate in Hong Kong accredited with the Elderly-Friendly Building Certification.  Looking ahead, the Government will continue to take a forward-looking approach in land supply and community planning, and join hands with the Housing Society and all sectors of the society to press ahead with the Dedicated Rehousing Estates projects in both the Northern Metropolis and urban areas, enabling the citizens to share the development outcomes and enjoy comfortable living while witnessing the city’s development.

HKHS Chairman Prof Ling Kar-kan said, “Dedicated Rehousing Estates is a forward-looking policy initiative that helps advance the development of the Northern Metropolis.  The Housing Society is particularly grateful for the government’s support, which is instrumental to the successful completion of ‘Casa Sierra’, that provides a stable living environment for households affected by clearance exercises to begin their new chapter of life.  The Housing Society will continue to fulfil its role as a ‘housing laboratory’ and actively explore more DRE projects in support of the government policies and the development needs of the Northern Metropolis.”

Prof Ling continued, “Casa Sierra offers different housing types under the ‘mixed development model’, including rental units, subsidised sale flats and ‘Senior Citizen Residences Scheme’ units, alongside a shopping mall and social welfare facilities to cater for the housing and daily needs of residents of all ages.  Upholding the Housing Society’s people-centric belief, the project incorporates a variety of elderly-friendly designs and smart property management solutions, becoming an exemplar of an intergenerational and smart community.”

“Casa Sierra” offers a total of 1,467 units, among them are 696 subsidised sale flats in “Sierra Terrace” and 510 rental units in “Sierra Tower” designated for rehousing purpose.  Tenant intake of “Sierra Tower” commenced in October last year, while the flat handover of “Sierra Terrace” commenced this month.  The project also features a pet-friendly shopping mall “Sierra Life” and an outdoor pet garden. 

“Blossom Place”, located within “Casa Sierra”, is HKHS’s fourth project under the “Senior Citizen Residences Scheme” offering 261 flats and a residential care home for the elderly with about 50 beds.  Barrier-free designs are adopted for the housing units and common spaces.  Various gerontechnology solutions are also introduced, including an artificial intelligence (AI) robot that answers residents’ daily enquiries and drives interactions and companionship, as well as a humanoid robot that encourages seniors to establish a healthy lifestyle through engaging exercises experience.  “Blossom Place” also offers thoughtful new features, such as a “Go-out Essentials Organiser” inside the housing unit entrance for elderly residents to place their walking stick, umbrella and keys, demonstrating HKHS’s commitment to residents’ well-being.  “Blossom Place” is expected to be available for intake in the second half of this year.

HKHS aspires to making “Casa Sierra” an intergenerational and inclusive estate that integrates elderly-friendly designs across the development.  Last year, “Casa Sierra” stood tall as the first project in Hong Kong accredited with the Elderly-friendly Building Certification. 

Furthermore, “Casa Sierra” leverages a range of PropTech applications to enhance operational efficiency and customer services.  These include robotic patrol dogs and the gradual application of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to streamline property management tasks.  HKHS has also developed a dedicated mobile application for “Casa Sierra”, allowing easy access of residents to a full range of information and one-stop services offered by the estate, shopping mall, car park as well as community information.  A series of smart technologies is also introduced to the shopping mall “Sierra Life”, including an AI Concierge that provides instant customer information and support, as well as the use of an ultra-high-speed AI computing power cleaning robot to keep the restrooms clean.  Operating in a professional-grade mode, the AI cleaning robot performs comprehensive deep cleaning tasks while utilising a real-time monitoring system to optimise efficiency and hygiene standards, bringing a clean and safe environment for the customers.  In addition, the mall’s car park is set to install one of the city’s highest-capacity electric vehicle supercharging stations, boasting a power output exceeding 700kW.  Once the installation is complete, the car park will house the largest EV supercharging network in the Northern Metropolis, offering visitors a new and enhanced experience.