The Town Planning Board wants to hear from you – urgently!

Like parents whose aim is to give a child the independence he will eventually need, the aim of a reputable community service organization is to help people get off welfare and give them the independence which every adult needs to live a dignified life. But now, our government has made a decision which is likely to leave a large percentage of Kwun Tong's residents forever on social welfare. However, the Town Planning Board is asking for comments from the public – that's you!

For 30 years Christian Action has provided thousands of people in the Kwun Tong area with the help they need to rebuild their lives and get off welfare. We have given them new horizons, new hope, and above all, dignity. Our headquarters in Kwun Tong was aptly named New Horizons Building!

But now the land on which our headquarters stand has been earmarked for subsidized public housing. There's certainly a need for more housing, but with even more low-income families in the area, the need for community services will be even greater than it is at the moment.

As the third biggest retraining service provider in the region, we cater to a significant portion of the Kwun Tong population, offering an important service to residents in the second highest unemployment district in Hong Kong. How will the future owners of new subsidized homes find help close to home? How will they afford to give their families a good quality of life without the skills to earn a living wage? How long will residents remain a millstone around the Hong Kong Government's neck, constantly forced to rely on government subsidies, simply because he or she doesn't know how to break free?

Apart from my concern about the newcomers, I'm concerned that the thousands of residents currently living in Kwun Tong and using our services will have nowhere to go. Will the opportunities to improve their lives gradually diminish until they are stuck in a never ending cycle of despair?

Christian Action has submitted an application to the Town Planning Board to have this land rezoned to ‘GIC’ (Government, Institution or Community use). A successful rezoning will still leave plenty of room for the new housing on the unoccupied land which surrounds us.

For the next two weeks, (before July 18^th, 2014) the Town Planning Board is seeking comments from the public (that's you!) on our application to rezone New Horizons Building to GIC. Do you want organizations like Christian Action to remain among the new developments or should the land only be used for housing? Click here to comment!