香港社區組織協會聯同ArtWalk將於12/3(三)至15/3(六)在中環Schoeni畫廊展出大角咀一間籠屋的一比一攝影裝置。是次展覽是2008年ArtWalk展覽系列之一。

ArtWalk是全港一年一度舉行的最受歡迎的藝術慈善活動，今年將於3月12日(星期三)晚上5時至12時舉行，55間中環、灣仔、香港仔、黃竹坑、銅鑼灣及太古城的畫廊參與是次活動，屆時參加者可以一邊欣賞藝術，一邊品賞美酒佳餚，門票收益捐助慈善團體(成人$420 學生$90)，今年的受惠機構是香港社區組織協會。ArtWalk自2005年開始將門票收益捐贈香港社區組織協會，支持香港社區組織協會服務弱勢社群及推動人權工作。

根據統計處資料顯示，本港現時仍有十萬人居住於籠屋 及板間房 等環境擠迫、惡劣的不適切居所，生活困苦，急待改善。但政府對單身人士實施計分制及大幅削減公屋配額、對新移民實施申請公屋居港七年條件，無理延長公屋輪候時間，令這些貧困人士被迫繼續留居籠屋板房，籠屋板房問題難以解決。

根據香港社區組織協會2008年3月發表的「籠屋、板房及套房租住問題研究報告」，顯示受訪者的個人工資中位數只有$4,900，較本會2007年1月發佈的「籠屋及板間房研究報告」的$5,000低；相較全港月入中位數($10,000)更低超過一半, 可見經濟復蘇，貧困的籠屋、板房居民卻毫無得益，要勒緊肚皮捱通脹加租之苦，沒有租金管制法例之下, 租金呎價媲美豪宅，中位數30元，最貴達$50，貧窮情況進一步惡化。而2008年最新出爐的財政預算案卻對這些最困難最需要協助的私樓貧窮租戶視若無睹，在大家分享經濟成果時，貧窮租戶成了「五無」戶，無綜援、無薪俸稅、無差餉、無減租及無電費減，未能有所受惠，是政府最受忽視的一群。香港社區組織協會要求政府為居民提供租金津貼、重訂租金管制法例，加快公屋安置，取消單身計分制及新移民居港七年申請條件，取締籠屋及管制板房等。

是次展覽展示大角咀一間籠屋的實況，將現位於舊區大角咀的一間籠屋用一比一的攝影裝置在香港商業核心的中環展覽，突顯香港的貧富懸殊，希望藉此引起社會及政府對於籠屋居民的房屋及貧窮問題的關注及作出改善行動。

香港社區組織協會社工逐家逐戶探訪這些貧困戶，跟進他們的需要，組織居民爭取公屋安置及生活保障。每年協助過千戶籠屋板房居民成功獲配公屋，每年提供過千次房屋、就業及經濟諮詢服務。 展覽詳情如下:

日期: 2008年3月12日至3月15日(星期三至六)
時間: 10:30am - 6:30pm(12/3: 2pm至12am，15/3: 10:30am至4:30pm)
地點: 中環荷里活道27號地下Schoeni Art Gallery(中區警署斜對面)
網頁: www.hongkongartwalk.com
主辦: 香港社區組織協會(SoCO) & ArtWalk 2008

是次展覽能成功舉行全賴ArtWalk的全力支持及Schoeni畫廊慷慨借出場地，還有理工大學多元媒體設計學生及Marc Brulhart & staff of Marc & Chantal Design等義工的協助，香港社區組織協會衷心感謝他們，尤其是ArtWalk的John Batten及Schoeni Art Gallery 的 Nicole Schoeni的無私奉獻及對弱勢社群的支持，並特別感謝ArtWalk 55間畫廊持續第四年籌款支持香港社區組織協會及弱勢社群，為弱勢社群及資源缺乏的香港社區組織協會雪中送炭。

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籠屋由來

籠屋是香港貧窮的縮影，由五十年代開始，內地戰亂，大量內地移民湧到香港成為廉價勞工，因政府沒有房屋安置及勞工保障政策，1985年前單人更不可以申請公屋，社會對租金便宜的床位寓所需求十分殷切。很多單身漢隻身來港當苦力，租住三呎乘六呎的床位，幾十伙人共用一個廚房及廁所，苦撐數十年。為了牟利，業主利用鐵籠做出上下兩層，甚至三層的床位出租，所以被稱為籠屋。

政府自1994年開始制定《床位寓所條例》以管制籠屋，但只管制衛生及消防，不管伙數及居住面積，於1998年實施。將籠屋稱為床位寓所，並界定床位寓所 (bedspace apartment) 為一個單位內有十二伙或以上人租住的床位，全盛期香港共有逾五、六百間籠屋，現時仍有近百間，但環境類似籠屋，伙數少於12伙的單位，稱為板間房，卻仍有數千間，根據統計處資料，現時約有十萬人租住籠屋、板房等不適切居所。

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What is a 'Caged Home'?

Caged home is the miniature of Hong Kong poverty. It arose in 1950s due to an influx of refugees from mainland China who provided Hong Kong industries cheap labour. Their arrival created a strong demand for low cost bedspace apartments as the Hong Kong Government had no housing and labour protection policy for these low paid workers. Before 1985, singletons were even not allowed to apply for public rental housing. Many single men arrived in Hong Kong with hardly any possessions. They worked as coolies and rented to a 3 ft. x 6 ft. bedspace. They needed to share with tens of households to use one kitchen and one toilet decade after decade. To make more profit, the apartment operators used iron cages to construct bunk beds (two to three beds stacked on top of each other), and so the name 'caged home' was coined.

In 1994, the government proceeded with the enactment of the Bedspace Apartments Ordinance to regulate caged homes, but it only concerned the fire safety and sanitation, not the household and living space. The ordinance, which came into effect in 1998, defines caged homes as 'bedspace apartments' with 12 or above households in any flat.

At its peak, there were over 500 to 600 caged homes in Hong Kong. Today, there are still nearly 100 of them. However, there are thousands of cubicles houses which are similar to caged homes where about 12 households sharing a flat. According to the Hong Kong Census and Statistic Department, there are about 100,000 people living in inadequate housing, such as caged home and cubicle houses.

 

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籠屋及板房工作

一張沒有木虱咬的床，一個獨立衛生的家，是每個籠屋板房居民的心願。

在香港這繁榮先進的都市，仍有十萬老人、婦女、兒童、低收入單身及復康社群蝸居籠屋、板房及天台屋等不適切居所。他們每日營營役役，仍得不到三餐溫飽，找不到安身之所。SoCO逐家逐戶探訪這些貧困戶，跟進他們的需要，組織爭取公屋安置及生活保障。

• 每年協助過千戶籠屋板房低收入人士成功獲配公屋
  
• 每年提供過千次房屋、就業及經濟諮詢服務
  
• 成功爭取籠屋老人優先安置
  
• 成功爭取放寬精神病康復者體恤安置資格
  

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Cage-home and Old Private Housing Project

 

A home without fleas and rubbish is a hope for all those who live in cage houses and partition rooms.

In a cosmopolitan like Hong Kong, tens of thousands of elderly, women, children, low-income workers and the handicapped are still forced to inhabit in improper accommodations like the cage houses and partition rooms. They are deprived of warmth and food despite working 24 hours a day, SOCO has followed every one of these cases, fighting to satisfy their basic needs.

SoCO has…

• helped thousands of low-income workers in receiving public housing.
  
• provided thousands of consultation services of queries on housing, employment and economics.
  
• helped elderly in cage houses to have priority for re-allocation
  
• alleviated restrictions on housing arrangements for the mentally-handicapped

個案一: 戴伯伯

「我住係度超過四十年，後生時想上樓上唔到，依家唔敢唸，又無錢又不知聽日死都唔定。」78歲的戴伯伯一臉唏噓地訴說心事。

戴伯伯，1962年內地大逃亡潮時，父母俱亡，隻身跑來香港，在大角咀找到當時這月租只有七元的床位，一個人在香港做過地盤、工廠，直至近七十歲才退休，沒有退休金，積蓄用盡，只好申領綜援。綜援金額有限，除了三餐，因籠屋沒有廚房要外出用膳，戴伯伯常睡在鐵籠裹過日子。他喜歡喝米酒，因為不夠錢，常溝水喝，希望可以解千愁，床頭常放米酒樽為伴。

戴伯伯無奈仰天長歎：「我地呢的雀籠生活可以點樣？」

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Case 1: Uncle Tai

"I have lived here for more than 40 years. My application for public housing unit was unsuccessful when I was younger and now I am penniless and have no future," laments 78 year-old Uncle Tai.

Uncle Tai lost his parents in the political turmoil in China and came to Hong Kong empty-handed in 1962. He managed to find a bed-space which cost HK$7 per month in Tai Kok Tsui. He is single and worked on construction sites and in factories until the age of 70. Without pension and running out of savings, he had no choice but to receive the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA). The CSSA payment is low and Uncle Tai can only afford to use it on his daily three basic meals - there is no kitchen facilities provided in his caged home so he cannot cook for himself. Apart from going out for meals, he spends most of his time in his "cage". Rice wine is one of his few luxuries and without any spare money, he can merely take an occasional sip from the diluted wine - a sad panacea for Uncle Tai's life in a caged home.

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晚上10時才收工，青文拖?疲累的身軀回家，這不止是她一人的家，還有其他18伙人，男多女少，共用一個廁所及廚房，她住在其中上格閣仔，只有20呎空間用木板建成，不能站直身，沒有窗口，沒有一線光線。

「成日好似就快窒息咁！都唔知點解咁差環境，政府仲俾業主做！」青文皺著眉投訴她的閣仔沒有空氣流通。她現年四十歲，因過份操勞，已常週身骨痛，但仍撐著日返十二小時的雜工工作。

她申請公屋四年，但因未居港七年，仍未獲分配公屋，她最盼望是儘快分配公屋及子女快些從內地批准來港團聚。

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Case 2: Ching-man

It is around 10 o'clock at night and Ching-man is exhausted after arriving home from working a 12-hour day as a cleaning lady. Eighteen households share this apartment and the number of male residents outnumbers female, who all share the same toilet and kitchen facilities. Ching-man lives in one of the upper mezzanines comprising about 20 sq. ft. divided by wooden planks and she cannot sit up straight in this window-less space.

"It is suffocating here! The living conditions are unbearable, and I just wonder why the proprietor can keep his operations like this with the government's knowledge!" frowned Ching-man who is in her 40s, overworked and suffered muscle pain.

She has applied for public housing units for over the last four years, but is not eligible because her residency in Hong Kong has not reached the prerequisite of seven years. Ching-man hopes to be assigned with a public housing unit and that her application for family reunion will be approved soon - in the meantime, her life is suffocatingly difficult.

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本會地址：九龍何文田公主道52號3樓 電話: (852) 2713 9165 傳真: (852) 2761 3326 電郵:soco@pacific.net.hk

Contact address: 52 Princess Margaret Road, 3/F, Homantin, Kln., HK. Tel: (852) 2713 9165 Fax: (852) 2761 3326 E-mail: soco@pacific.net.hk