The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) approved the sixth project under the Subsidy Scheme for Using Hotels and Guesthouses as Youth Hostels to the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs).

     To meet young people's aspirations of having their own living space, apart from continuing to fully fund non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to construct youth hostels on under-utilised sites through the Youth Hostel Scheme (YHS), the current-term Government expanded the YHS in 2023 to subsidise NGOs to rent suitable hotels and guesthouses for use as youth hostels. The current-term Government is committed to taking forward the youth hostel projects. The number of hostel places launched under the YHS, including this project by the TWGHs, has increased significantly from about 80 when the current-term Government took office to over 3 700.

     The sixth youth hostel project approved under the Subsidy Scheme is named the TN Residence, which will be launched by the TWGHs and the Hong Kong Ferry (Holdings) Company Limited. The project is located at 280 Tung Chau Street, Sham Shui Po, providing up to 676 hostel places. The TWGHs has introduced the concept of a "youth vertical community" for the project, and it is hoped that in addition to enjoying their own living space, youth tenants could also interact with other tenants in the common areas, thereby establishing a social network with mutual assistance and trust. Another feature of the project is the V-Mile programme, which encourages youth tenants to actively participate in value-added activities and community services recognised by the TWGHs or organise activities on their own. This aims to facilitate their personal development, cultivate their physical and mental well-being and foster proper values, so that they could achieve self-enrichment, widen their personal and social networks, and even contribute to society. For details about the project and the means of application, please visit the website of the TN Residence (tnresidence.tungwahcsd.org).

     A HYAB spokesperson said, "The TN Residence is the third project under the Subsidy Scheme located in Kowloon. It is in close proximity to railway stations, and situated within the cultural and creative industry hub with many specialty shops and restaurants nearby. This project provides young people who aspire to have their own living space an opportunity to realise their ideal way of life, and enables them to proactively equip themselves and formulate a better plan for the future during their stay. Furthermore, the HYAB will set up a physical platform for interaction for members of Youth Link in the adjacent Nam Cheong District Community Centre and Tung Chau Street Temporary Market. It is envisaged that the additional activity space for young people would create synergy with the youth hostel project. The TN Residence fully demonstrates the power of the tripartite collaboration among the Government, the business sector and the community. We are delighted that the Subsidy Scheme has gained support from society and we will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders who share our vision to take forward youth hostel projects."

     Details about the Subsidy Scheme, including the guidelines for applications and the application forms, have been uploaded onto the HYAB website (www.hyab.gov.hk/en/policy_responsibilities/Social_Harmony_and_Civic_Education/youth_hostel_scheme.htm). Relevant organisations can submit their applications to the HYAB by post, email or other means.

Ends/Thursday, June 5, 2025
Issued at HKT 16:00

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