Govt identifies more than 1,600 high-risk households since the launch of carers database

The District Services and Community Care Teams have identified approximately 1,600 public housing households with high-risk caregivers through the carers database, with plans to expand the system to include units managed by the Housing Society and “three-nil” buildings, said the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Chris Sun Yuk-han. 

Speaking at the Care the Carers Campaign ceremony today, Sun said the Care Teams have visited about 24,000 high-risk families since the database began operating. 

Identified cases have been referred to the Social Welfare Department for follow-up support.

The government now plans to expand the system beyond public housing to include properties managed by the Hong Kong Housing Society and “three-nil” buildings, continuing to use big data to locate high-risk households, he added.

The three-year “Care the Carers Campaign” is set to conclude this year. 

Themed as Fostering a Carer-friendly Community, a vetting panel will select "touching carers," "carer-friendly neighbors," and "carer-friendly employers" through self-nominations or external nominations to honor their contributions and raise community awareness of caregivers while fostering a supportive environment.

Sun said that the campaign has received more than 610 nominations, each with a deeply touching story. 

Reflecting on the past three years, he stated that the term “carer” has garnered attention from all sectors of society, adding that the program has achieved remarkable results. 

He expressed hope that carer support networks will keep expanding and confirmed the government’s ongoing commitment through various measures, including the HK$500 million allocated in the 2025 Policy Address for carer initiatives.

Sun added that with collaboration across society, carers will benefit further from technology and other forms of support in the future.