Social Problems and Community Development in Urban Settings in Hong Kong

Abstract

Since 1950 Hong Kong has been developing industries greatly with its rapid increase in population, mainly caused by refugees. More than 4 milions people are living in Hong Kong, 88 per cent of them are in the Metropolitan Hong Kong. Most of these people living in narrow urban area are poor workers. These people are facing various social problems caused by its overpopulated situation. In order to solve these problems, in 1968 the Hong Kong Government launched the urban community development program by establishing the City District Office Scheme. The Government now adopts the decentralization of power, and intends to pursue the grass-root community development. However, it seems that they can not get an expected result so far. In this article, I examined the reason why satisfying achievements in urban community development in Hong Kong have not attained, from the view point of political scheme of society, especially that in the district level. These examination are based on the data from our research held in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, in the summer of 1976. Firstly, social problems which the people in Hong Kong are now facing to are examined. They cover all of the living phases ; problems such as housing, water shortage, unemployment, trafic, education, crimes, social welfare, medical care and pollution. Secondly, community development in a district level is intensively examined by picking up the Kwun Tong case, especially from the aspect of local organizations involved. The Area Committee in Mutual Aid Committee Scheme under the direction of the City District Office is identified as the most important local organization for a community develpment in a district. This MAC-Area Committee is a representative organization of the residents and a basic unit for the urban community development. However, the Hong Kong Government controls strongly this Committee through Government officers. Moreover, the Area Committee does not have its own source of revenue. The source of revenue is the donation from the local leaders. Thus there is a discrepancy between the administrative body and the local residents. The urban community development is stagnating under these political scheme of society. Also the fact that the lease of the New Territories will be terminated after 20 years from now has produced a negative attitude toward the reform.