A Voice for the Voiceless

We went on site visit to Hung Fuk Estate in Yuen Long in 2016. Click here to read the Housing Authority’s press release!

The odds are stacked against low-income families in Hong Kong. At Christian Action, we believe that Jesus has called us to be a voice for the voiceless, so it has been my honour to do just that. From 2012 to early 2018 I have been a member of the Subsidised Housing Committee, which is part of Hong Kong Housing Authority.

While square footage gets less and less, rents continue to rise, increasing the stress, family conflict, and financial hardship of low income families.

I am deeply thankful for my time of service on the Subsidised Housing Committee

My six years on the committee have not been easy, but it has been a privilege to serve these families. With New Arrivals, Ethnic Minorities, and families surrounding our New Horizons Building HQ, I have learned about the needs of community members and concern groups, and endeavoured to bring their needs before the committee with the hope that housing would be more accessible to them.

Ethnic minorities often get very little representation. Many are unable to read English or Chinese, so they struggle to turn in their public housing applications. It was a privilege to advocate for applications and resources to be made available in their own languages and dialects. Additionally, I was able to advocate in other ways, like raising awareness of the size of families, housing availability and so on.

In the summer of 2015, our volunteers stepped in when Kai Ching estate had a water emergency with lead levels that were much too high. Many of our service users, including ethnic minorities, put their needs aside and worked well past 8pm to bring water to their neighbours. I admired their compassion and hoped that I would continue to model my own service on their example.

My time with the Subsidised Housing Committee came to an end on 31 March 2018, but I will continue to speak up for the voiceless. I have faith and confidence that God will continue to enable me and Christian Action to do that work.

May He also give you compassion and courage as you speak out for the needy around you.