To study the effectiveness of community building of Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) in public rental housing estates

Abstract

“Community Building” has been embedded in the mindset of public policy of Hong Kong since the British colonial epoch in 1970s, in order to achieve society betterment and stability. The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) is major policy bureau and facilitator to promote community building in public rental housing (PRH) estates. This dissertation examines the effectiveness of the community building strategies of the HKHA in PRH estates in Hong Kong, in term of resident participation, social interaction, social network and social capital. The study employed a mixed research method with household questionnaires, individual in-depth interview and group discussion. Findings revealed that the effectiveness of community building is very low in PRH estates. Residents living in PRH estates are lack of mutual trust, reciprocity, sense of belonging and collective actions. Insufficient opportunities and catalysts of resident participation in the community building strategies of the HKHA are the main causes of low assembly of social capital in PRH estates. Recommendations are given at the end of this paper to provide insights for the HKHA and policy makers in improving community building strategies in PRH estates sustainably.