Hong Kong’s new poverty metrics won’t change duty to those in need

Referring to the various programmes created for the three target groups – subdivided flat residents, single-parent families and all-elderly households – the authorities said they had met or exceeded all key performance indicators (KPIs).

For instance, the Community Living Room that provides laundry, cooking and studying facilities for subdivided flat tenants reported over 70 per cent improvement in their sense of belonging, extended living space and interpersonal relationships. Under the School-based After School Care Scheme, over 80 per cent of parents, guardians or students reflected improvement in work-family conflict and other indicators. The scheme enabled homemakers to return to work and earn an average of about HK$3,500 (US$450) more each month.

Defending the new approach, Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki said the shift from the income-based poverty line enabled the government to provide more all-round services.

Taking into account how much a family effectively gains by not paying full price for public services under the concept of “social transfer values”, the government said resources devoted to education, housing, healthcare and social welfare also played a crucial role in easing poverty. For example, the value of education-related support measures received by 650,000 households amounted to HK$12,600 a month for each one. The value of healthcare measures for 1.63 million households stood at HK$5,000 a month per household.

The South China Morning Post has cautioned that changing the way poverty is measured in a city that perennially ranks among the world’s most expensive places to live is bound to be controversial. While the previous administrations cannot be faulted for using 50 per cent of the median household income as the benchmark for supporting services, alleviating poverty is arguably not as simple as drawing a line and offering help to those below it.