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The HSICP ceremony is officiated by Miss Alice Mak, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs (centre); Ir Wai Chi-sing, Managing Director of the URA (3rd from the left); Mr Edward Yu, District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong) (3rd from the right); Mr Paul Wong, District Officer (Sham Shui Po) (2nd from the left); Mr David Leung, District Officer (Central and Western) (2nd from the right); Mr Denny Ho, District Officer (Kwun Tong) (1st from the left); and Mr Kenneth Wu, Assistant District Officer (Kowloon City) (1st from the right).
Ir Wai Chi-sing, Managing Director of the URA, expresses his gratitude to the Government, community organisations and professional institutions for enabling the successful implementation of the HSICP at the ceremony.
Miss Alice Mak, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Home and Youth Affairs says in her remarks that the HSICP helps provide a safer and cozier home for underprivileged families and vulnerable communities in need.
An ethnic minority resident (centre) in Yau Tsim Mong District shares at the ceremony how the HSICP helps improve the living environment and safety level through targeted supporting services and customised home safety solutions.
25 Sep 2024

URA Launches Home Safety Improvement Community Programme to Enhance Home and Fire Safety for the Elderly and Underprivileged Families in Old Districts

The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) launches the Home Safety Improvement Community Programme (HSICP) in partnership with community organisations in Kowloon City, Central and Western District, Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po, and Yau Tsim Mong to provide home safety solutions with essential safety and fire protection facilities for free to the needy elderly and underprivileged families, including those living in sub-divided units and ethnic minorities. 

A ceremony was held today (25 September 2024) at the URA’s Building Rehabilitation Resource Centre in To Kwa Wan and was officiated by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Miss Alice Mak, Managing Director of the URA Ir Wai Chi-sing, District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong) Mr Edward Yu, District Officer (Sham Shui Po) Mr Paul Wong, District Officer (Central and Western) Mr David Leung, District Officer (Kwun Tong) Mr Denny Ho, and Assistant District Officer (Kowloon City) Mr Kenneth Wu.

Speaking at the ceremony, URA Managing Director Ir Wai Chi-sing remarked, “Seeking to enhance safety in consideration of diverse demographic profiles and living conditions within older districts, the HSICP provides tailored home safety improvement solutions and advances residential and fire protection among beneficiary families.  The Programme is the result of the concerted efforts of government departments, community organisations, professional bodies, district councillors and other stakeholders, collaborating toward the shared objective of enhancing home safety for those living in the old districts.”

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Miss Alice Mak said in her remarks that the HSICP brings together community organisations to collaboratively improve the living environment for needy residents, aligning with the Bureau’s strategic direction, “This year, the work of Home and Youth Affairs Bureau is themed around Home and Harmony, which refers to family building and harmonious community development. At the same time, the URA is committed to revitalising urban environments and promoting a safe and harmonious living for families.  In other words, the Bureau and the URA share the same belief and objective.” She expressed her hope for strengthening cross-sector cooperation in creating a sustainable quality living environment.  

Since 2018, the URA has been implementing the Home Repair Services Community Programme (HRSCP) in Kowloon City, Sham Shui Po, Yau Tsim Mong, and Central and Western districts.  In collaboration with community organisations, the URA has recruited home repair ambassadors and volunteer repair workers to visit elderly and underprivileged families requiring home repairs.  Inspections of home appliances and minor works such as concrete spalling repair, replacement of power sockets and electrical devices are provided for free to the beneficiary families.  To date, over 5,000 households have benefited from the programme.

In view of the fires and home accidents that happened in old buildings in the past year, resulting in casualties, the URA built upon the experience from the HRSCP to launch the enhanced HSICP in July.  In addition to broadening the scope of support, the HSICP expands its service area to include Kwun Tong, aiming to benefit more underprivileged families in the old districts.

Considering the varied demographic profiles and living conditions of the five districts which the programme covered, the HSICP not only provides free home repairs and minor works but also offers tailored services focusing on improving home safety and fire protection for beneficiary families.  A team of professionals will develop customised solutions for beneficiary families to improve home safety.  Essential fire protection facilities and guidance on increasing safety awareness will also be offered.  Depending on the needs and if circumstances permit, the service scope in some of the districts will extend from individual units to the common areas of buildings.

The HSICP is supported by the District Offices, District Services and Community Care Teams and community organisations of the five districts.  The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (Fire Division) and the Institution of Fire Engineers (Hong Kong Division) also participated by contributing professional advice on devising home safety solutions.  The HSICP will run for one year and is anticipated to benefit over a thousand elderly and underprivileged families in old districts.

Attachment: HSICP Programme Details

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