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The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, visited street sleepers in Mong Kok and Tai Kok Tsui districts tonight (December 30) to better understand the situation of the homeless.
Mr Cheung first visited the Salvation Army Integrated Services for Street Sleepers in Yau Ma Tei. He was briefed by the staff on the recent situation of street sleepers in Yau Tsim Mong district and the services provided for them.
He chatted with the social workers and volunteers who participated in relevant community projects to learn about their work.
Mr Cheung said, "The Government is very concerned about homeless people. The Social Welfare Department through subvented non-governmental organisations have all along been providing outreach, counselling, financial and accommodation assistance, referral for rehabilitation and other support services to street sleepers." He encouraged the social workers and volunteers to continue to help street sleepers.
Accompanied by frontline social workers and volunteers, Mr Cheung then visited street sleepers in the vicinity of Yim Po Fong Street in Mong Kok and the Ferry Street Flyover in Tai Kok Tsui.
He talked to some homeless there to find out why they had nowhere to live and explained to them what the Government, including the Labour Department and Social Welfare Department, could do to assist.
As at November 2010, the number of street sleepers registered by the Social Welfare Department and non-governmental organisation service units was 388, down from the figure of 421 a year ago.
Before concluding the visit, Mr Cheung distributed blankets, warm clothes and food boxes to street sleepers and encouraged them to seek help and tackle whatever problems they might have in order to re-integrate into the community.
Ends/Thursday, December 30, 2010
Issued at HKT 21:54
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