The government has been urged to take over the construction of transitional housing and incorporate it into the long-term housing strategy.

The call was made by the Society for Community Organisation (Soco) on Sunday, which also said the official target to build 20,000 transitional homes in the coming few years should be increased to 50,000.

“We recommend the government should do the construction for the social housing. It’s easier for them because they have the departments to build the housing,” said Soco’s deputy director, Sze Lai-shan, who noted many transitional housing projects are being led by NGOs

“And then for NGOs, they can help to deliver services and run the whole residency,” said Sze.

She said authorities should look for idle plots or buildings suitable for transitional flats, conduct survey and planning, and then assign the Housing Society or the Housing Authority to the construction.

Sze said the NGOs can then assess the needs of the residents and design services that can help alleviate them from poverty in the long run, such as building skills to maintain a healthy lifestyle and cope with adversity.

Soco has set up a show flat for a transitional housing project in Tsuen Wan.

A woman living in a sub-divided who visited the show flat told RTHK she and her husband had been waiting for a public flat for five years but wishes to move into one of Soco’s transitional homes.

“They are alright. Better than the one we are renting. It’s better to have transitional housing. I also hope the government will build more public flats for the people, so we don’t have to live in such narrow space,” she said.