Community Care Teams surpass service targets in first term with $444m spent

The Home Affairs Department announced on Tuesday that the first term of the District Services and Community Care Teams exceeded its service targets, with total expenditure reaching HK$444 million, of which 92 percent was funded by the government.

Details were set out in the department’s latest work report, which noted that the first-phase care teams completed their service period in October 2025.

Between 2023 and 2025, the teams conducted approximately 610,000 visits to elderly residents and other households in need. They also delivered about 100,000 instances of basic home or related support services and organized roughly 50,000 community activities.

Total spending for the first term amounted to HK$444 million. Of that, HK$411 million — or 92 percent — came from government funding, while the remaining 8 percent was covered by community resources mobilized by the teams.

Although HK$452 million had been allocated by the government, only 91 percent of the funding was utilized, while the teams still exceeded their Key Performance Indicator requirements for service delivery.

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said care team members and volunteers had consistently responded to residents’ needs with dedication, noting that “their achievements speak for themselves.”

Mak highlighted the teams’ response to various emergencies, including the aftermath of the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po, when more than 1,900 care team members and volunteers from across all districts answered the government’s call for support.

“They assisted in registering victims at temporary shelters and distributed donated materials,” she said.

She expressed hope that the report would help the public better understand the work of the care teams, strengthen awareness of community services, and encourage broader participation in their initiatives.

Looking ahead, Mak said the second-phase care teams — comprising 455 teams across all 18 districts — have already commenced full service. She reaffirmed their commitment to continue working in line with residents’ needs, with the aim of steadily enhancing people’s sense of fulfillment and happiness.