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    The Home Affairs Department(HAD) today announced that 26 small to medium-sized singleton hostels under its Singleton Hostel Programme(SHP) would be phased out in four years starting tomorrow (April 1).

    The SHP was introduced in 1991 by the Department to ensure that no lodgers of bedspace apartments would be rendered homeless as a result of the implementation of the Bedspace Apartments Ordinance.

    There are now 28 singleton hostels under the SHP, of which 26 are small to medium-sized hostels managed by the Agency for Volunteer Service(AVS). The other two purpose-built singleton hostels, namely the Sunrise House and the High Street House, are managed by the Salvation Army and the Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council respectively.

    The 26 singleton hostels in urban areas managed by the AVS provide a total of 290 bedspaces while the Sunrise House in Sham Shui Po and the High Street House in Sai Ying Pun provide a total of 580 places for singletons.

    The HAD has conducted an overall review of the operation of the SHP recently to ensure effective use of social resources. As a result, the HAD and the AVS agreed to gradually phase out the 26 small to medium-sized singleton hostels within four years. However, the Sunrise House and the High Street House will continue to provide services to the lodgers.

    The AVS estimated that about 160 lodgers would be affected within these four years. The HAD and relevant departments/organisations, including the AVS, Social Welfare Department, Housing Department, the Salvation Army and the Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council which manage the Sunrise House and the High Street House respectively, will try their best to render all possible assistance to the lodgers.

    They will help the lodgers to locate other premises under the SHP or help them look for alternative accommodations, including the "elderly house" or public housing units for singletons provided by the Hong Kong Housing Authority and the Hong Kong Housing Society. The AVS will also arrange counseling and other relevant professional services to help lodgers in the move.

Ends/Thursday, March 31, 2005

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