A social housing network for co-housing of single mothers with children
Light Home is a social housing network with units located across all 18 districts of Hong Kong, from the city centre to suburb even as far as Lantau. Light Homes are not subdivided units and the network is consisted of apartments from a diverse array of properties including from housing estates to private developments, new to old buildings, city centre to suburb, and more.
The beneficiary households for Light Homes mainly consist of single-mother families. Many single mothers are forced into short-term poverty by marital hardships or the passing of their significant other. To tackle this new situation, the Light Home programme puts great weight on beneficiaries’ Mobility Training, Co-housing Training and other facilities and activities that aim at supporting single mothers’ needs.
The landlords of Light Homes passionately care about society. They are largely citizens that own residential units on a long-term basis and have the financial conditions to allow not putting rent income on high priority and leasing the property on a lower price to Light Be for development as Light Homes. Ever since the first Light Home landlord specially purchased a flat for development as a Light Home, more and more landlords have allowed their flats that are originally idle or used for investment to be re-purposed as Light Homes, creating a new practice in our society bit-by-bit. After the inauguration of the Light Home programme a decade ago, the first batch of Light Home units are already stepping to their third 3-year tenancy with a high renewal rate of 80%. Over the years, the landlords of Light Home have not followed market price, and have not participated in subdividing units.
