New World Development (“New World”) has been actively involved in the Housing Bureau's transitional housing programme, in order to alleviate housing problems faced by low-income citizens. It was announced earlier that close to 3,000 units will be created across four New World projects, benefiting over 10,000 individuals. Adhering to its vision of Creating Shared Value, New World is embarking on a new and ground-breaking collaboration with four major corporations and organisations, including Chow Tai Fook Charity Foundation, Microsoft Hong Kong, HKT, and Pricerite, to create Hong Kong's first “Smart Community” in transitional housing projects.

This initiative will bring together enterprises and NGOs in the fields of innovative technology, education, healthcare, and emergency support, and introduce a range of next-generation solutions to addresses the housing needs of the grassroots community, and promote their upward mobility.

Sitt Nam-Hoi, Executive Director of New World Development, said, “New World Group has always upheld the vision of Creating Shared Value and fully supports the government's transitional housing programme. By harnessing the creativity from all sectors, we are able to inject innovative thinking into our projects, alleviate the housing pressure on grassroots communities, and contribute to their upward mobility. We would like to express our gratitude to Chow Tai Fook Charity Foundation, Microsoft Hong Kong, HKT, and Pricerite for joining hands with us to create a “Smart Community,” leveraging the strengths of corporations and embodying the spirit of shared value across different fields.”

Chow Tai Fook Charity Foundation Donates HKD 4 Million, Establishes Emergency Support Units, Expands “Community Hub” Project

To provide comprehensive support to low-income families, Chow Tai Fook Charity Foundation leads the way by donating HKD 4 million to the initiative. In addition to subsidising the purchase of basic household appliances, the donation will also be used to set up the first emergency support units. These units will be reserved for applicants who are facing special circumstances, such as domestic violence, major life changes, or urgent housing needs for elderly couples or single elderly residents. Programme collaborator Pricerite will be designing 

and furnishing the units with essential furniture pieces and home supplies to create a comfortable living environment for residents. These will be the first “turnkey” units in transitional housing projects in Hong Kong, and will be allocated based on needs.

Furthermore, Chow Tai Fook Charity Foundation will expand its first “Community Hub” services in Sham Shui Po to transitional housing projects, with the aims of fostering community cohesion, building mutual support networks, and achieving targeted poverty alleviation. “Community Hub” services currently provide shared spaces and a variety of innovative services to support those in need, including child-friendly spaces and experiential learning games that cater to children, caregivers, and the elderly. 

Peter Cheng, Chairman of Chow Tai Fook Charity Foundation, said, “For years, the foundation has been committed to vision of “Community Philanthropy” and has continued to work with local organisations to establish new charitable models, with the “Community Hub” being one of the prime examples. This time, we are able to extend the experience we gained from this project to transitional housing communities, and inject vitality into the lives of the residents.”

Microsoft Hong Kong Introduces STEM Programme to Innovation Classrooms

The “Smart Community” combines creativity from multiple sectors and receives support from different corporations. It will not only offer basic living arrangements to residents but also see the introduction of unique innovative elements. For the first time in transitional housing projects, Microsoft Hong Kong and HKT will jointly provide support to the “Innovation Hub” , which will be used as an innovation classroom. The target audience includes children, working youth, and elderly residents etc.

In addition to donating refurbished laptops and 2-in-1 PCs, Microsoft Hong Kong will also collaborate with educational groups such as Hour of Code Hong Kong to tailor STEM, artificial intelligence (AI), and other courses to meet the needs of underprivileged residents. Volunteers will also be invited to provide on-site and online teaching assistance, supporting residents’ learning and promoting upward mobility.

HKT Leverages Technology to Support Telecommunication, Healthcare, and Education Services 

HKT lends its support to the all-round “Smart Community” by offering free services encompassing telecommunications, healthcare and education in four of New World’s transitional housing projects. Available to all emergency support units, HKT’s free NETVIGATOR 1000M Home broadband and Wi-Fi services, as well as DrGo telemedicine consultation and same-day prescribed medication delivery services will help address the 

pressing needs of residents, with a view to utilising technology to assist families impacted by unforeseen circumstances and help get them back on their feet.

With edutainment becoming increasingly popular, HKT is introducing its eye AI Interactive Robot, HKT education Creative Technology Workshop and Now TV STEM Learning Pack to the “Innovation Hub”. Through these edutainment STEM learning sets, which will feature e-books, coding classes and motion-sensing interactive games as well as engaging education programmes, students will learn about multiple subjects including science, technology, engineering, mathematics, astronomy and arts.

Pricerite to Set up Smart Shopping Wall and Introduce Hybrid Supermarket

Furthermore, to provide the community with comprehensive amenities, a hybrid supermarket will also be created, combining online and offline shopping channels. To do so, Pricerite will set up an innovative smart shopping wall with self-service points for home product purchases. This will offer a wide range of household products, electrical appliances, furniture, food and beverages to meet the residents’ daily needs. Residents can simply scan the product QR codes on the wall with their smartphones to enjoy discounted prices when making purchases from the Pricerite online store. All delivery fees will be waived for those living in the designated transitional homes.

New World Sites for Transitional Housing Projects to Offer 3,000 Units, Now Accepting Applications for Fan Kam Road Project

New World Development and the participating corporations believe that the “Smart Community” will go beyond a temporary dwelling and become a platform that empowers and equips residents with learning and skills at work. It will also enable them to live a better life even after they move out. We welcome businesses from all sectors to join forces with us and unleash our collective creative power, demonstrating the spirit of Creating Shared Value.

The four transitional housing projects with sites lent by New World are located in Fan Kam Road, San Tin, Lau Fau Shan, and Tin Shui Wai, and are operated by Lutheran Church - Hong Kong Synod, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, and Light Be. Among them, the "CONCORDIA Sheung Yue River" project on Fan Kam Road and the San Tin project are scheduled for completion and move-in between the third and fourth quarters this year. The projects are easily accessible via minibuses, buses, and shuttle buses that provide shuttling services to and from MTR stations. Interested and eligible individuals are welcome to inquire with the operating organisations for more details.

Supplementary information for New World Development Transitional Housing Projects：

*The Fan Kam Road project will be completed in the third quarter this year. Applications are now open. Interested and qualified individuals can contact Lutheran Church - Hong Kong Synod, the operation partner, for more details, and submit an application to the Housing Bureau. Application form for transitional housing can be downloaded from the following hyperlink on the Housing Bureau’s website:

https://www.hb.gov.hk/doc/tfth/TH Application Form_En_(Jun 2023).pdf

Innovative proposals from the four collaborating companies

• Related links

• Share

• Follow us
• Follow us on Facebook