Govt to launch five more Community Living Rooms as pilot surpasses targets

The government will launch five additional Community Living Rooms as the pilot program has yielded results far exceeding its key performance indicator (KPI) targets, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said.

Sun stated that since the initiative's launch in late 2023, 13 Community Living Rooms have officially commenced services, and the newly planned locations will bring the total number of facilities to 18 by year-end.

The government had set three KPIs for the projects, aiming for no less than 70 percent of members to experience improvements in their extended living space, sense of community belonging, and interpersonal networks.

An evaluation conducted by a commissioned university research team revealed that the program's effectiveness in all three areas has far surpassed the 70 percent goal.

Sun noted that existing facilities are currently situated in districts with a high concentration of subdivided flat residents, while the government will focus on identifying suitable sites in areas that currently lack such amenities.

Lawmaker Vincent Cheng Wing-shun questioned whether authorities would consider regularizing the program, given the positive feedback from the public and beneficiaries.

Sun pointed out that it is too early to fully regularize the scheme. However, donors have agreed to extend the operating period for another three years for the initial four facilities that opened first.

The authorities will continue to monitor the situation, he added, and will consider expanding the service to other demographics once the needs of subdivided flat residents are fully met.

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