To
: [email protected]
Dear Mr Wilson,
The Social Welfare Department (“SWD”) received referral from Labour and
Welfare Bureau (“LWB”) on 24 October 2023 of Questions (1), (2) and (4) of
your request raised under the Code on Access to Information on 9 October
2023, seeking access to information regarding homelessness in Hong Kong.
Please find SWD’s reply to Question (1), (2) and (4) below-
Question (1) and Question (2)
2. To keep track of the demand for welfare support services for street
sleepers, SWD set up a Street Sleeper Registry (SSR) through the collection
of information by casework service units of SWD and non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), as well as NGOs dedicated to serving street sleepers.
For street sleepers who refuse to release their personal data in the SSR, only
their street sleeping characteristics and welfare services received will be
reported, without disclosing their personal particulars. According to the
information of the SSR, the number of registered street sleepers in the past 5
years is tabulated below-
Year
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22 2022-23
Number of
1 423
1 580
registered
(9.71%
(21.82%
Street
1 297
increase as
increase as
1 564
1 441
Sleepers in
compared with compared with
SSR
2018-19)
2018-19)
All street sleeper cases reported to SWD from multiple sources were captured
in the SSR. SWD does not have other estimate.
Question (4)
3. If non-Hong Kong residents encounter emergency situation and are unable
to obtain assistance from relatives, friends or the consulate to meet their basic
needs, they can seek urgent assistance from the Integrated Family Service
Centres (IFSCs) of SWD. After verifying the emergency needs of the persons
concerned, the IFSCs will provide them with assistance as far as possible,
including providing short-term food assistance and applying for temporary
shelters operated by NGOs.
4. To address the welfare needs of street sleepers (including migrants or non-
Hong Kong residents), SWD subvents NGOs to operate three Integrated
Services Teams for Street Sleepers (ISTs) in Hong Kong to conduct day and
late-night outreach visits for proactively reaching out to street sleepers and
understanding their reasons for street sleeping. ISTs render integrated
services according to the actual welfare needs of street sleepers and their
willingness to receive services. Appropriate welfare support services are
provided to address the urgent welfare needs of street sleepers, thereby
helping them live off the street.
5. Should you have any enquiries, please feel free to contact me at 2892 5642.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
(Will CHAN)
for Director of Social Welfare