Affected by the pandemic, unemployment has become a serious social problem in Hong Kong. This issue of Policy Bulletin ‘Unemployment Protection’ aims to examine the profile of the unemployed in Hong Kong, assess the coverage of the existing unemployment protection system, and explore some overseas experiences, hoping to offer more inspiration for the development of unemployment protection system in Hong Kong. For enquiries, please contact Ms Edith Yim, Officer, Policy Research and Advocacy at [email protected] or 2864 2906. To get a hard copy, please call at 2864 2977 or email at [email protected].   ...

Last year, the Chief Executive put forward ‘the package of 10 new livelihood initiatives to substantially enhance the support for grassroots and underprivileged people’, one of which was the feasibility study on ‘Tenancy Control of Subdivided Units’. The study will be completed in March this year and the result submitted to the government for policy consideration. This issue of Policy Bulletin ‘Tenancy Control of Subdivided Units' aims to identify and analyze the policy parameters of the topic, to provide local data and overseas policy case studies, to explore the situation of small owners of private residential units in old urban districts, and to make policy recommendations. For enquiries, please contact Ms. Natalie Yau, Officer, Policy Research and Advocacy at [email protected] or 2864 2967. To get a hard copy, please call at 2864 2977 or email at [email protected] ...

Last year, the Policy Address proposed the provision of 15,000 transitional housing units in the coming three years to provide deprived groups with short-term residences to help alleviate the current housing problem of the grassroots due to insufficient public housing supply. This issue of Policy Bulletin “Transitional Housing Policy” aims to understand the current policy of transitional housing, and to examine whether it meets the said policy objective, and to put forward suggestions on transitional housing policy.  We also discuss the importance of social services in the transitional housing projects and explore a new concept of community land trust in view of the latest policy development. For enquiries, please contact Ms. Natalie Yau, Officer of Policy Research and Advocacy (Social Development) at [email protected] or 2864-2967. To get a hard copy, please contact Ms. Connie Chen, Programme Executive of Policy Research and Advocacy (Social Development) at [email protected] or 2864-2963 ...

As a core part of social security system in Hong Kong, the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme has undergone some changes since its establishment more than 20 years ago. However, there is still much room for improvement before it can fully meet the needs of the grassroots. This year the government is reviewing the CSSA. In view of this, this issue of Policy Bulletin “CSSA Review” aims to explore how to improve Hong Kong's social security system with special attention to CSSA. The related issues explored include reviewing the levels of Standard Rates and Supplement, allowing household as an entity of application, developing social insurance system, devising personalized assistance to effectively encourage employment, and strengthening recipients to grasp precise information about the CSSA system. At the same time, this issue contains the major recommendations on reforming CSSA that are advocated by the Council. For enquiries, please contact Ms. Natalie Yau, Officer of Policy Research and Advocacy (Social Development) at [email protected] or 2864-2967. To get a hard copy, please contact Ms. Connie Chen, Programme Executive of Policy Research and Advocacy (Social Development) at [email protected] or 2864-2963 ...

In recent years, Hong Kong has encountered a shortage of service places in both Elderly Services and Rehabilitation Services, which is partly due to a lack of social welfare premises. The sector encounters difficulties in searching appropriate lands and premises for services. In view of this, this issue of the Policy Bulletin “Planning and Provision of Social Welfare Premises” aims to explore the causes of and the policy solutions for the shortcomings of planning and provision of social welfare premises in Hong Kong, including a discussion over the “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines” to understand the importance of population-based planning ratios in social welfare planning, the experience of reinstating “population-based planning ratios for elderly services” in Elderly Services Programme Plan, and the review of “Special Scheme on Privately Owned Sites for Welfare Uses” and other possible solutions in increasing the supply of social welfare premises. For enquiries, please contact Mr. Danny Yeung, Programme Executive of Policy Research and Advocacy (Social Development) at 2864 2963 or [email protected] ...