Thinking Inside the Box: Hong Kong’s Next Effort to Solve Affordable Housing Shortage
According to the South China Morning Post, a plan to convert freight containers into living units to increase housing for those experiencing various forms of homelessness is under consideration in Hong Kong, China. Freight container units have been used for housing in places like the Netherlands, Taiwan and Australia; the Chinese government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are taking part in a study to examine the strategy’s feasibility in China. Meanwhile, intermediate measures to address the matter will be introduced by the end of the year.
Read the article here.
Madrid Adopts Housing First Approach
“What came first, the egg or the hen?” asked Mayor Manuela Carmena. In a blog post earlier this year, we reported that Madrid’s 2017 budget allotted funding to housing first led initiatives. Those initiatives are continuing to flourish, with an increasing number of homes being allocated to individuals experiencing homelessness across the city. As of December 1, there will be a total of approximately 135 homes available under the program. As reported in 20 Minutos, the single-person homes will be complemented by health, employment, education and social services. This week, experts from Empresa Municipal de la Vivienda y Suelo (EMVS) – the Municipal Company of the Housing and Land of the City council of Madrid, the Municipal Society Zaragoza Housing (SLU), and the Association Provivienda.
Read the article here. (This article’s original text is in Spanish)
Locked Out: Housing Solutions for Vulnerable Young People Transitioning To Independence
FEANTSA and the Fondation Abbé Pierre collaborated on a report providing an overview of affordable housing initiatives in Europe targeted at young people in vulnerable situations. As stated in the report, individuals in Europe under the age of 30 represent about 20-30% of the homelessness population in most European countries. Locked Out discusses the effects of government policies on young people’s ability to transition into living independently. The experience of homelessness among young people is different from that of other age groups; thus, solutions must be tailored to fit their specific needs.The organizations concludes the publication with implications on improving government policies that affect young people’s transition into housing of their own.
Read the report here.
Reworking Approaches to Homelessness in the U.S.
Katie Pyzyk of Smart Cities DIVE delves into the changing approaches to solving homelessness in the United States over past decades. With approximately 550,000 people experiencing homelessness, as reported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), communities have been working to find strategies that will produce long-term solutions for those without housing. Over time, government and community leaders and organizations have begun to shift from traditional, facility-based systems that rely primarily on temporarily sheltering individuals and families to more holistic approaches that also address contributing factors. “You have to address the entirety of a household’s challenges and barriers and always work with their strengths; that’s when you can make a meaningful difference and achieve housing stability,” stated Kurt Larrick, Assistant Director of Communications for the Arlington County Department of Human Services.
Read the article here.