Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018

Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam

24 March 2018

2

• The Government reinstated the Commission on Poverty (CoP) in December 2012. Chaired by

the Chief Secretary for Administration, the CoP is a high-level platform for deliberation of poverty alleviation policies

• When I was the Chief Secretary for Administration, the CoP brought about various innovative

work and projects under my leadership, including:

• Formulating the first official poverty line, publishing the annual update of the poverty

situation in Hong Kong, and conducting thematic studies such as the analyses on the poverty situation of ethnic minorities

• Launching the Low-income Working Family Allowance
• Conducting public engagement exercise on retirement protection
• Undertaking to resolve the Mandatory Provident Fund “offsetting” issues
• Filling the gaps of existing assistance programmes through the Community Care Fund
• Promoting social innovation and cross-sector collaboration through the Social

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund

Innovations in poverty alleviation

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

3

The objectives of the Commission on Poverty Summit

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

4 Poor population and poverty rate after recurrent cash benefits, 2009-2016

The value of the poverty line

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

1 348 1 322 1 295 1 312 1 336 1 325 1 345 1 352 1 043 1 031 1 005 1 018 972 962 971 996 800 900 1 000 1 100 1 200 1 300 1 400 1 500 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 (20.1%) (20.6%) (19.6%) (16.0%) (15.7%) (15.2%) (19.6%) (15.2%) (19.9%) (14.5%) (14.3%) (19.6%) (19.7%) (14.3%) (19.9%) (14.7%) Poor population ('000)

Pre-intervention Post-intervention (recurrent cash)

Figures in parentheses denote the corresponding poverty rates. General Household Survey, Census and Statistics Department. Note: .( ) Source: Poor households ('000) 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Pre-intervention 541 536 530 541 555 555 570 582 Post-intervention (recurrent cash) 406 405 399 403 385 383 392 412

5

Public rental housing (PRH) is an important pillar in poverty alleviation work

Poor population and poverty rate after in-kind benefits, 2009-2016

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

1 348 1 322 1 295 1 312 1 336 1 325 1 345 1 352 1 043 1 031 1 005 1 018 972 962 971 996 726 699 675 674 656 648 669 709 200 400 600 800 1 000 1 200 1 400 1 600 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 (20.1%) (20.6%) (19.6%) (16.0%) (15.7%) (15.2%) (11.1%) (19.6%) (15.2%) (10.6%) (10.2%) (10.1%) (19.9%) (14.5%) (9.8%)

Post-intervention

(recurrent cash + in-kind)

Pre-intervention Post-intervention (recurrent cash)

Poor population ('000) Note: ( ) Figures in parentheses denote the corresponding poverty rates. Source: General Household Survey, Census and Statistics Department. (14.3%) (9.6%) (19.6%) (19.7%) (14.3%) (9.8%) (14.7%) (19.9%) (10.4%)

Poor households ('000) 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Pre-intervention 541 536 530 541 555 555 570 582 Post-intervention (recurrent cash) 406 405 399 403 385 383 392 412 Post-intervention (recurrent cash + in-kind) 284 278 271 272 269 271 281 304

197 118 69 18 23 3 374 272 189 103 56 23 22 24 1 357 234 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 CSSA OALA Education benefits LIFA OAA DA WITS All recurrent cash benefits PRH provision

2015 2016 2.8 1.5 0.8 0.3 0.3 0.3 @ 5.2 2.8 1.0 1.7 @ 0.3 0.2 5.4 3.9 3.4

Recurrent cash In-kind: PRH

2015 2016 Population ('000) Reduction in poverty rate (RHS) Reduction in poor population (LHS) (Percentage point(s))

Note: (@) Source: Less than 0.05 percentage point. General Household Survey, Census and Statistics Department.

Reduction in poor households ('000) CSSA OALA Education benefits LIFA Old Age Allowance (OAA) Disability Allowance (DA) Work Incentive Transport Subsidy (WITS) All recurrent cash benefits PRH provision 2015 108 54 18

• 9

8 1 177 102 2016 107 49 15 6 10 8 1 170 91

6 Effectiveness of selected recurrent cash benefits and PRH provision in poverty alleviation, 2015-2016

PRH was effective in alleviating poverty, reducing the poverty rate by 3.4 percentage points and lifting over 230 000 persons out of poverty. Its effectiveness was even higher than those

• f recurrent cash benefits (including Comprehensive Social Security Assistance)

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

7

Visiting Light Home in Wing Lee Street in July 2015

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

8

Visiting Light Housing in Sham Tseng in July 2016

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

9

Officiating at the launching ceremony of Light Housing in Sham Tseng in October 2016

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

10

Celebrating the Chinese New Year with tenants of Light Housing in Sham Tseng in February 2018

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

11 Visiting a social housing project under the Community Housing Movement of Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) in February 2018

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

• Increasing the supply of PRH is the ultimate solution to resolve the housing problem of

underprivileged families

• It takes time to identify land for increasing housing supply. Hence, we cannot fully

meet the housing needs of the underprivileged through PRH in the short run. The average waiting time for general applicants of PRH is 4.7 years

12

The Government will strive to increase the supply of PRH

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

13

Exploring strategies to increase land supply

• Increasing land supply is the prerequisite of increasing PRH supply. It is a pressing problem

that warrants immediate attention

• The Task Force on Land Supply will launch a 5-month public engagement exercise in April to

facilitate the community to discuss the pros and cons of different land supply options and their relative priorities, with a view to achieving a broad consensus in the community

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

The Policy Address put forth specific measures that may be considered, including:

• ptimising the use of idle government premises by providing rental housing

units like those under the Light Housing project launched by Light Be in Sham Tseng;

• supporting the Community Housing Movement initiated by HKCSS on a pilot

basis, including encouraging the Urban Renewal Authority to participate by

• ffering units in old buildings;
• facilitating the Hong Kong Housing Society in allowing the owners of its

subsidised housing to rent out their flats with premium unpaid to needy families at below market rentals on a pilot basis;

• exploring the wholesale conversion of industrial buildings into transitional

housing with waiver of land premium; and

• supporting non-profit-making organisations to explore the feasibility of

constructing pre-fabricated modular housing on idle sites

14

While we are striving to increase PRH supply, the Government endeavours to

• ptimise existing housing resources to help families on the PRH waiting list and

the inadequately housed

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

15

Consolidating the resources of different sectors in the community to promote social housing projects

Social housing projects

• By consolidating the resources of different sectors in the community, including

social welfare organisations, social enterprises, charities, landlords and professionals, social housing projects provide underprivileged families with renovated housing units as temporary homes at affordable rents

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

The Chief Executive’s principles in social policies - The Chief Executive's 2017 Policy Address

16

• Whether in poverty alleviation, care for the elderly or support

for the disadvantaged, the Government should adhere to the following principles in formulating policies: pro-child, pro- family, pro-work and pro-user. On the provision of social services, we should promote cross-sector and cross-profession collaboration as well as public-private partnership to make better use

• f our resources and provide more comprehensive

care for the needy in society

• The Government will continue to

devote resources in alleviating poverty and supporting the disadvantaged with a view to building a caring and inclusive society

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive

17

Thank you

Commission on Poverty Summit 2018 | Opening Remarks by the Chief Executive