Chief Executive John Lee visited Sha Tin District today and met local residents to listen to their views on the upcoming Policy Address. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho, Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak, and Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun also joined the visit.

Mr Lee called on the home of a woman with disabilities and her carer in Wo Che Estate to learn more about their daily lives. Afterwards, he went to the SAHK New Territories East Community Rehabilitation Day Centre to understand its support for carers, as well as the rehabilitation training services provided to individuals with physical and cognitive impairments. He also interacted with the service users there.

The Chief Executive highlighted that the Government has implemented a series of measures to strengthen support for people with disabilities and their carers, including increasing the number of district support centres and quotas for rehabilitation services.

A pilot project was launched in the third quarter of last year by establishing two integrated community rehabilitation centres, while the Designated Hotline for Carer Support 182 183 commenced operation last September, he pointed out, adding that the Government will continue to enhance relevant work to build a caring and inclusive community.

Mr Lee and the officials then inspected a public rental housing (PRH) flat in Sha Kok Estate that was recovered and refurbished by the Housing Department as part of its efforts in combating tenancy abuse.

He noted that the Housing Department has been taking measures to deal with the issue through preventive detection, investigations, publicity and education, and enhancement of the “well-off tenants policies” and the “addition policy” in order to safeguard the proper use of valuable PRH resources.

He added that the department is reviewing the workflow and standards of refurbishment works for vacant flats to expedite the progress, with a view to allocating the flats to PRH applicants as soon as possible.

Additionally, Mr Lee visited a market and a cooked food stall in Sha Kok Estate to hear the opinions of vendors and residents on the Government’s policies.

He said: “I attach importance to policy areas closely related to people’s livelihood, such as the support for people with disabilities and the supply of public housing.

“Through interactions with members of the public, I could feel their love for Hong Kong and their aspirations for life. My team and I will continue to listen to the views of various sectors of society, with a view to building a vibrant economy for a caring community.”