Street Sleepers Get Justice

Nine street sleepers finally got justice today, three years later

About three years ago, 22 police officers cleared Tung Chau Street Park in Sham Shui Po where some 80 to 100 street sleepers lived.

These homeless people were given three minutes to pack up their items and move on, the rest of their personal belongings were collected as garbage, which filled 12 rubbish containers, each with a volume of 600 litres.

I remember this story and the public outrage at how these homeless people were treated without any dignity.

The homeless lived in this park in Sham Shui Po

Yesterday nine of those street sleepers won a token HK$100 each in Small Claims Tribunal when it ruled in favour of them, as their personal items were disposed of without their consent.

Arthur Lam Hei-wei, the presiding adjudicator, awarded nominal damages of HK$100 to each of the nine claimants, as none of them could provide sufficient evidence of the value of their possessions.

Not all nine can claim this payment, as one died this month after becoming infected with Covid-19. 

Initially there were 14 claimants, seeking compensation ranging from HK$2,000 to HK$13,290 over the loss of their items, such as garments, mattresses, cash and travel documents.

However, two of the claimants have since died, and four others lost contact with the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO), a concern group supporting the street sleepers in the proceedings.

Lam found the department had failed to discharge its duty of care, as janitors made no independent identifications for the seized items items and left them in the depot, forcing the claimants, some of whom were physically disabled, to rummage through the rubbish containers. 

They only had minutes to pack their belongings

The Justice Department, representing the police and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, had asked the claimants to pay HK$26,000 as court expenses incurred by the authorities in the proceedings, but Lam refused and instead ordered both sides to shoulder their own costs.

One of the claimants, Chan Chi-wing, said the ruling had served justice to two of his fellow street sleepers who died earlier. Chan, who uses a wheelchair said: "It's not a matter of how much I can claim, I'm fine as long as justice is served."

SoCO community organiser Ng Wai-tung called the ruling "belated justice", adding it was "ridiculous" that authorities failed to keep visual records of the confiscated items.

"The homeless should not be subject to humiliation," he said. "Their belongings are also private property. The right to private property is a basic human right, of which nobody should be deprived."

This is the third time homeless people have taken the authorities to court over confiscating their personal items without prior notice. The previous lawsuits in 2012 and 2016 were settled out of court.

The claimants were awarded HK$100 each

It is terrible seeing people sleeping on the street, but where else can they go? The government is not providing them the assistance they need, and instead trying to sweep them under the carpet...

Other good news?

Today's case count for Covid-19 was below 7,000 at 6,976, 135 deaths of which 117 were in the last 24 hours, and 18 backlogged.

Children in Poverty are Stressed and Tired

A sister looks after her younger sibling in a cramped flat

It is heartbreaking to read a report that in some impoverished families in Hong Kong, children help supplement their parents' income by collecting cardboard and other paper, or cannot go out and play because they need to look after younger siblings and do housework.

One 15-year old spends an hour a day finding discarded cardboard in Sham Shui Po so that he can earn HK$25 (US$3.20) a week for 5kg.

He also prepares lunch for his 10-year-old sister and tutors her, as his mother, a 39-year-old divorced cleaner is too busy working.

Impoverished families usually have single parents

"When I think of how hard my mother works, I think it's all right to help out a bit," said the secondary three student. 

"There are people who ask, 'Why are you gathering cardboard at such a young age?' I think it's OK to help my mother when she earns so little."

According to the Hong Kong government's Poverty Situation Report, there were 274,900 children under the age of 18 living in poverty.

The city's poverty rate is 23.6 percent, or 1.65 million people, a 12-year high.

An individual whose income is lHK$4,400 or less per month or a family of three with a total income of HK$16,000 or less is considered poor by the government.

A survey by the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) between June 2020 and September this year found 80 percent of 201 poor children between the ages of three and 17 had to do housework or look after their family members.

Children are usually too tired to do homework

Nearly one-third spent more than eight hours a week helping at home, and nearly a fifth more than 16 hours a week. Their parents were either at work, ill, or had to return to the mainland to renew their visas.

Fifty-seven percent of children took care of family members, including bathing or feeding them, and nearly one in 10 sold waste paper and cardboard to help their families make ends meet.

As a result of doing so much housework and looking after family members, the children felt exhausted, helpless or stressed, and had attention issues and muscle aches. They also didn't have enough rest, or lacked time or energy to play and meet with friends.

"We sometimes see these children quitting school because they have to make money for their families, or they are absent from our [extracurricular] classes because they have to cook for their younger siblings or take care of sick family members," said SoCO deputy director Sze Lai-shan.

Does the government not care for these children? Why squabble over the definition of poverty and help them instead?

Some children collect cardboard for extra money

They deserve to at least have time to do their homework, and play with friends as a bit of stress relief. 

With hardly any pan-democrats like Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung and Leung Kwok-hung in the Legislative Council to shed attention on grassroots social issues like these, it's not surprising the government isn't interesting... though almost 275,000 children who are poor cannot be swept under the carpet either.

Hong Kong cannot afford to have children suffering from the yawning wealth gap when the city is so rich. 

Hong Kong Fudges Poverty Numbers

A record 1.65 million people are in poverty in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has a record 1.65 million people living in poverty in 2020, since the government kept records 12 years ago. The latest number was released in its annual Poverty Situation Report released today.

That's over one in five Hongkongers live on HK$4,400 a month or less, or a three-person family at HK$16,000 or less. 

Govt says handouts made poverty stats smaller

However, instead of being concerned about the situation, the government preferred instead to add that it has given residents lots of subsidies and handouts so the actual number of people in poverty is 554,000, at just 7.9 percent of the population, better than the 9.2 percent recorded in 2019.

Huh?

In its tally, because the government gave several cash handouts and public housing, the people who fit its definition of "poverty" is actually less than 1.65 million.

But campaigners and experts say the numbers are too high, masking the reality of how the coronavirus pandemic has financially impacted not only individuals but families as well.

"Poor people have been hit the hardest during the year of the pandemic, from job losses to underemployment and homelessness. The government must not turn a blind eye to the serious findings in its own report," said Sze Lai-shan, of the Society for Community Organization (SoCO).

Sze says poor hit hardest during pandemic

In 2020, the government gave out HK$316.4 billion (US$40.6 billion) in four rounds of subsidies from its anti-epidemic fund to support businesses from closing due to strict social-distancing rules, as many of them had to shut for months.

But unemployment soared to a 16-year high of 6.6 percent in the final quarter of the year, with some 245,800 people out of work during the fourth wave of the pandemic.

Wednesday's report saw Hong Kong's poverty-stricken population rise from 1.49 million to 1.65 million in one year. 

While the government claimed in the report that its interventions helped prevent an even sharper poverty rate, SoCO's Sze said last year's mass unemployment was a direct result of the government's tough policy on social distancing, and that relief measures fell short of supporting those most in need. For example, relief measures for businesses did not trickle down to employees.

What will Xia think of the poverty report?

One wonders what Xia Baolong thinks of this report and if he believes it. The director of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office has singled out poverty and wealth inequality as deep-rooted issues that need to be tackled by the next leader.

He and his staff have done several home visits, so they have seen on the ground how some of Hong Kong's down-and-out live -- and those are the ones with roofs over their heads. Has Bao seen the homeless people living on the streets and asked them how they are doing?

Meanwhile at the other end of the spectrum, it was reported today one buyer bought two luxury flats on The Peak for a record HK$1.2 billion (US$154 million). The two flats next to each other are at Mount Nicholson, at HK$134,000 per sq ft and HK$140,800 per sq ft.

How will the next leader resolve this is anyone's guess. 

Government App Creates Digital Divide

Government is enforcing the use of Leave Home Safe app

The Hong Kong government is desperately thinking of ways to please Beijing in order to lift the border, and the latest move is to make anyone who wants to enter a government building use the Leave Home Safe app from November 1.

That means barring them from concert venues, libraries, sports facilities, government buildings and museums. It's not clear if this will also extend to public washrooms and wet markets.

The app logs in places the user has been to

While there are some people who refuse to download the app for various reasons that range from distrust of the government to not believing in the app's effectiveness, others simply don't have a smartphone, and so they can't use the app to scan a QR code to check in and check out of any building, restaurant, hotel, shop and so on.

But NGOs are particularly concerned for those in the low-income bracket who can't afford to have a smartphone, and as a result will not be able to access the services they need.

Anne Sit Kim-ping of the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO), said she feared the homeless, who relied on freely available public facilities such as libraries and sports centres, would now be unable to enter, given that many did not own a smartphone.

The homeless also often sought help in processing aid documents from various government offices, including the Social Welfare Department, Home Affairs Department, and judicial buildings. 

"We are concerned that homeless people will find it very difficult to look for help when this new requirement sets in," she said.

Those who don't have the app can't access libraries

"During the summer months, public libraries are one of the few places where homeless people stay indoors during the day. Street sleepers also use free public access to sports centres to refill water bottles or take a simple shower."

According to government figures, the number of registered homeless people in Hong Kong rose to a record high at the end of June to 1,562, compared to 787 in 2014. The numbers of unregistered homeless people is probably even higher.

Sit estimated just 10 to 20 percent of homeless people the NGO worked with owned a working smartphone, adding that charities typically lent only basic phones that didn't have the capability to support mobile apps.

Up until now people who do not use the Leave Home Safe app in government buildings had the option of filling out their contact details on a paper form. But from November 1 that will not be available.

They won't be able to go into museums either

There are exemptions for those under 12 and over 65 years of age, and the disabled who cannot use the app. They will need to fill out their names, the first four digits of their ID cards and the date and time of their visit.

By scanning the QR code, the Leave Home Safe app logs all the places the person has been including the date and time. When someone test positive and was in the same location at the same time, they are supposed to be alerted to get tested right away.

However, by making everyone use the app, that immediately creates a digital divide for the haves and have-nots, people Sit is referring to who not only need access to government departments, but also use basic facilities. By not having a smartphone, these underprivileged people will be shut out even further from society and their dignity more profoundly affected.

Obviously the government has not thought about these people, and a solution needs to be found. Quick.

More Questions on HK$5K Handout

Chan (centre) on the phone-in show talking about the budget

 

As part of the budget, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced every permanent resident and new immigrants from the mainland will receive HK$5,000 -- in the form of an electronic voucher that will be distributed five times at HK$1,000 each. The amount cannot be accumulated and must be used within a certain period of time.

Cashless payments will be set up at wet markets

Chan explains this is a way for the money to be used locally to stimulate the economy and to help small businesses. 

While he has good intentions, it doesn't seem like Chan thought through his idea, or his advisors did not explain that many local shops, particularly wet markets don't use electronic payment, and many who actually need the HK$5,000 don't necessarily know how to use electronic banking, particularly on their smartphones -- if they have them.

During a phone-in radio show, Chan received a lot of calls regarding this, and the financial secretary said the government would help wet market stalls setup cashless payments to use Octopus.

"We will take these suggestions into consideration when implementing [the e-voucher], and follow-up on those concerns," he said, while conceding many details of the roll-out still needed to be ironed out.

Sze says the poor need the HK$5K handout asap

Sze Lai-shan, from the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) that works with those in poverty, said the government should step up implementing electronic payments in wet markets as those with lower incomes would rather spend their money on necessities.

In addition, she said this segment of people would like to get the HK$5,000 in one go so that they can purchase badly needed big-ticket items such as washing machines, rice cookers and water boilers.

Smart callers pointed out there could be people who buy something using the electronic vouchers and then return the item for cash, or use the vouchers to buy insurance. Did the financial secretary think of that? 

Another question was how Hong Kong residents living outside of the city could use the vouchers. 

Chan said the government would examine how to prevent people from abusing the scheme.

It doesn't sound like it was completely thought out... did any of his advisors raise red flags before Chan put this in his budget? Or did they think they would just deal with it later?

Has Chan (centre) thought of all the loopholes?

Other callers wondered if encouraging people to shop was the right thing to do when some were scraping by. However, if this money can be used in wet markets, then that would probably help a large number of people put food on the table, though probably only for say half a year depending on the time limit of each voucher. Is it a month? Six weeks? Two months?

Simon Lee Siu-po, co-director of Chinese University's international business and Chinese enterprise program, said the consumption vouchers would only have a small stimulus effect on the economy. While HK$36 billion is earmarked for the scheme, Lee projected only about HK$7.2 billion would be injected into local retail, catering and service sectors.

To compare that to before the anti-government protests in 2019 and the coronavirus pandemic last year, monthly retail sales in 2018 was HK$40 billion and HK$9 billion in catering.

"[The government still needs to focus on helping the heavily affected sectors," Lee said. "Otherwise the money will go to big retailers and major supermarket chains."

He also hinted retailers could get around the staggered vouchers by allowing customers to buy big-ticket items in installments.

Has Chan thought of that too? Would that be allowed?

So many questions, not enough answers... yet.

Pandemic Hits Poor the Hardest

There are more unemployed among the working poor than other Hongkongers

It is devastating how the coronavirus pandemic has severely impacted the worldwide economy, and Hong Kong is no exception.

Today there was a news report on the exhibitions industry, that 50 exhibitions and conferences were cancelled this year so far that would have drawn 54,000 exhibitors and 3.4 million visitors.

Last year some 1.69 million people came to Hong Kong for MICE events (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions), which made up of 55 percent of the total business visitors according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

SoCO released its survey on low-income workers today

That has a knock-on effect on hotels, restaurants and shops in the city.

There are about 600 firms related to exhibitions in Hong Kong, all paying rent on warehouse space, and staff, and many sitting on lots of product that they need to sell, not to mention the hundreds of casual staff without work.

Others being hit very hard by the pandemic are the working poor. Their unemployment rate is eight times higher than the city's unemployment rate, and more than one-third do not get government subsidies because they find it too cumbersome to get through all the bureaucratic red tape.

The Society for Community Organization (SoCO) conducted a survey of more than 330 low-income residents and found 31.5 percent had lost their jobs between May and July, and 28 percent had not worked for an entire year.

Seventy-five percent of those surveyed had been unemployed for those three months, and 10 percent were behind on rent. 

Many found it too troublesome to apply for subsidies

Hong Kong's unemployment rate for the same period was 6.1 percent.

"The city's low-income residents are living in a disaster zone compared to other people," said SoCO community organizer Sze Lai-shan. "For those who have been unemployed for months, they are having to eat less or even take out loans.

"The government has been giving out subsidies, but the poorest among us are not getting a single cent."

Some of those interviewed complained they weren't able to reach officials from the social welfare department for help because many government staff are working from home during the pandemic.

Things are getting really desperate for these people who wonder how they are going to survive the next few days let alone the next month.

Has the government forgotten about them?

Or are they expected to follow Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung's advice to get a job washing dishes?

Hardly Helping the Poor

A "coffin-sized" home is the situation for many living below the poverty line

When Leung Chun-ying was running for chief executive, he pledged to tackle poverty issues, giving the impression he is a man of the people, unlike his then competitor Henry Tang Ying-yen who seemed to be with the elitist crowd.

But four years after Leung became the leader of Hong Kong, the number of poor has increased to a six-year high under his watch.

How did that happen?

Leung's pledge to fight poverty has had no effective results

The Hong Kong Poverty Situation Report 2015 was released yesterday, and it showed 20,000 more people were living below the poverty line in 2015 compared to the year before, a total of 1.34 million.

The poverty line was set up in 2013 and calculated as half the median household income according to household size. Those living below it are considered poor, even taking into account government subsidies and handouts.

Around 477,500 are categorized as "working poor" families, of which 14,200 are degree holders.

The elderly at 65 years and older are most vulnerable, as one in three live in poverty, while one and two-person households are likely the elderly and single-parent families.

Social workers criticized the government for just throwing money at the problem instead of trying to get at the root cause, such as providing more low-income housing, and not taking into account actual living costs.

One in three elderly live in poverty in Hong Kong

"The current poverty line for a one-person household, HK$3,800, is too low. How could someone earning HK$4,000 per month not be considered poor?" asked veteran social worker Ho Hei-wah of the Society for Community Organization.

"A coffin-sized home already costs them some HK$1,000. How could they live with the rest of the money?"

At the Commission on Poverty summit on Saturday, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-nor tried to spin the results as saying the the poverty rate was "stable", much to the dismay of social workers, who find it bizarre that even though the government claims to be working hard for the poor, its efforts have hardly made a dent into trying to reduce the poverty rate.

As this latest report is seen as a kind of report card on Leung's performance as chief executive, the results are shockingly bad. Can we not have some long-term goals on how we can help the poor live better lives than just think about short-term solutions?