The city’s chief of home and youth affairs has defended community care teams, praising them for having "exceeded expectations" in serving residents.
In an interview ahead of the current administration’s third anniversary, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said the teams — working alongside district councilors — have established a comprehensive district governance network, organizing diverse activities for local communities.
Launched in 2022 under Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s Policy Address, the 452 volunteer-based teams, comprising about 5,000 members in total, are set to renew their terms in September. The care teams are required to submit a work report when their term ends. A total of HK$678 million ($86.4 million) will be provided to fund their operations over the next two years, with each care team receiving HK$1.2 to HK$1.5 million in annual funding to support neighborhood services.
However, their effectiveness has come under scrutiny recently, as vague key performance indicators have proved unable to measure their impact, and critics have raised questions about the value of certain activities, such as banquets and low-cost elderly tours.
Defending the teams’ efficiency, Mak highlighted their extensive outreach: They have carried out over 470,000 home visits, more than 55,000 basic household maintenance services, and over 30,000 community events to date, she said.
“If these services were outsourced, the cost would triple,” she added, underscoring the program’s cost-effectiveness.
“The care teams have an irreplaceable role, as some tasks require depth and breadth that can only be achieved through active public participation, instead of simply hiring someone to help,” Mak said, adding that the teams know how to gain residents’ trust and provide practical help.
ALSO READ: Mak: No uptick in gambling among HK youth
As an example, she referred to a recent case in which a care team earned the trust of an elderly woman who is a compulsive hoarder. The woman had been wandering the streets and sleeping in fast-food outlets despite owning a spacious four-bedroom home.
The team located her, arranged temporary shelter for her, and gradually persuaded her to let them help. Once inside her home, they cleared out a considerable amount of clutter in just one day.
This kind of hands-on, personalized support goes beyond what government officials can provide, Mak said, highlighting the teams’ unique ability to deliver in-depth, grassroots assistance.
Mak said that the government plans to do more to improve the public’s understanding of the kind of services provided by the care teams.
Meanwhile, district councilors — tasked with reforming district governance — have initiated “mobile meeting room” sessions in a new move to engage residents, with residents now able to meet councilors without making a prior appointment.
Launched in April, the sessions have received over 900 inquiries from the public.
Mak said that since taking office, she has been impressed by the high level of teamwork, efficiency and morale in district governance.
Discussing youth engagement, Mak said that more youngsters are participating in government-led activities, and cited examples of an exchange program to Jiangxi province’s Jinggangshan and a trip to Lima, Peru last November for APEC Voices of the Future (VOF) 2024, which ran alongside the APEC CEO Summit.
The bureau’s new program, Youth Link, which was launched in September 2023, has over 18,000 members, and its activities are highly popular with members and are sometimes oversubscribed. A new hub will be in use this year for members joining the program to interact in Sham Shui Po, the Kowloon.
