Editorial | Benefits of co-living programmes for Hong Kong's homeless worth extra cost

The study substituted a group family environment, in which they took turns sharing a flat and taking care of daily routines like cooking and cleaning, for shelters that serve the homeless. It resulted in nearly all of the 47 showing lower stress levels.

Releasing the findings, ImpactHK, which carried out the study with Shue Yan University, called on authorities to further explore such a co-living approach, including in temporary housing.

Homeless women often face more difficulties than their male counterparts in their daily lives and seek out more secluded places due to safety and privacy concerns. Those experiencing anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder might also find it difficult to navigate the complexities of shelter life. Traditional shelters, designed to serve as short-term solutions, often lack the supportive community atmosphere that women need to heal.

Research indicates that when homeless women are provided with housing in a family-like setting, their stress levels improve significantly. The study, privately funded by a donor, was small but proved worthwhile, going by the finding that 95 per cent of the participants showed a more than 50 per cent reduction in their stress and depression levels afterwards.

It shows that while society provides communal services that alleviate homelessness, these women benefited when able to function in a self-supporting family group. Expansion of co-living facilities and resources would come at a cost, but better outcomes would be worth it. Deep Ng, the head of programmes at ImpactHK, urged the government to develop policies that prioritised the mental health needs of homeless women and increase public awareness of the challenges faced by the unhoused community.