Her daughter‘s award certificates and various notices were pasted on the refrigerator, various spices and kitchen utensils were placed on the kitchen counter by the window, and the double bed was piled high with daily necessities… A simple public house on Caixing Road in Ngau Tau Kok, Hong Kong, is the new home of a citizen, Ms. Wu. Like Ms. Wu, over the past year, many citizens have moved into simple public houses filled with daily smoke and smoke.
Positive progress in areas such as housing, employment, social welfare and insurance has continuously enhanced the sense of gain, happiness and security of Hong Kong and Macao residents. All this stems from the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Region Governments continuing to make improving the lives of the people as a policy focus, responding to social concerns through a series of pragmatic initiatives.
Increasing Security
“It‘s much more comfortable to live here” compared to her previous “subdivised rooms” home, which was cramped in space and often suffered from noise and sewage stench. Ms. Wu said that her and her daughter‘s standard of living had greatly improved after moving. The simple public houses on Tsai Hing Road all have independent kitchens and bathrooms, complete with full furniture. For example, the two-person room in the simple public house that Ms. Wu and her daughter rent, costs only HK $ 1,290 per month, which is a lot less of an economic burden than when renting “subdivised rooms” before.
The HKSAR Government adopted the standard simple design and “assembly and synthesis” architecture law to rapidly build simple public housing, mainly offered to applicants who have been waiting in line for traditional public housing for 3 years or more. Currently, 13 projects are distributed across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. Through this powerful initiative, Hong Kong has solved the difficulties and pain points of the civic life issue, greatly reducing the waiting time for public housing. Similarly, Macau has also accelerated the supply of public housing (including communal and economic housing), having built more than 57,000 public housing units, providing basic housing security for middle and low-income classes.
“Medical health is an important matter for the public,” said Cen Haohui, the Chief Executive of Macau’s Special Administrative Region. Basic medical care is free, and patients aged 65 and above are treated for free… Today, Macau has built a system of health services that covers the entire lifecycle, and residents can easily visit doctors within 15 minutes’ walk. In Hong Kong, the first Chinese medicine hospital has officially entered operation, providing more diverse medical service options to the citizens. By improving the level of public medical services, the citizens of Hong Kong and Macau receive better care and support.
Starting May 1, 2025, Hong Kong will abolish the “hedging” mechanism of Mandatory Provident Funds to further safeguard the rights and interests of workers. To this end, the HKSAR Government will provide employers with funding totaling more than HK $ 33 billion to assist companies in adapting to the policy change. The Chief Executive of HKSAR, Li Jiachao, said that in the future, open communication on labour issues will continue. “We will work together to enable a wide range of employees to share the fruits of economic development.”
Macau continues to strengthen its two-tier Social Security system and reform its cash sharing program. Permanent residents of Macau over the age of 65 receive on average more than 6,200 Macanese dollars in cash benefits from the HKSAR Government each month. The HKSAR Government also provides precise assistance to poor and vulnerable groups through cooperation with social services agencies.
Igniting Passion
“To develop Hengqin and the inner cities of the Bay Area, more and more Macau youths are yearning for it from the bottom of their hearts to the point of wanting to try it out, and then they are doing it with their bodies,” said Huang Zizai, deputy general director of the Macau Youth Development Service Center.
The Macao Special Administrative Region Government clearly stated in its 2025 Financial Annual Policy Report that it has launched a youth support employment program in the Tai Wan Region. For high school graduates aged 35 or under who travel to the Nine Cities of the Tai Wan Region Mainland and the Hengqin, Guangdong and Macao Deep Cooperation Zone to work in designated enterprises, they will receive a monthly subsidy of 5,000 Macao dollars during their employment period, with a maximum subsidy period of 18 months. At the same time, the Macao Special Administrative Region Government has also extended the application of the “Employment Advancement Internship Program” and other programs to Macao youths who travel to the Mainland for development. “This further ignites the enthusiasm of Macao youths for expanding into the wider world,” Huang Zicai said.
A Hong Kong elder who chose to retire in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, made a calculation in an interview. When he retired in 2023, the money he received was enough to last him in Hong Kong for about 20 years. After moving to an inland city in the Bay Area, due to reduced living costs, the same amount of money could last him for about 60 years. “Northbound retirement” is becoming an increasingly popular option for Hong Kong and Macao elders.
The Hong Kong Social Welfare Department’s “Guangdong Housing Care Service Scheme” has covered 24 accredited institutions in eight Mainland cities in the Tai Wan area. The Hong Kong “Guangdong Scheme” provides subsidies of up to HK $ 4,060 per month. Hong Kong and Macao’s elderly medical vouchers can also be used in designated institutions in Guangdong and in the Hengqin, Guangdong and Macao Deep Cooperation Zone. In addition, the convenience of public services provided by the Mainland Hong Kong and Macao residents’ residence cards has formed a complete chain from economic subsidies to service guarantees.
Both Hong Kong and Macao inject new dynamics for the improvement of people‘s livelihood by integrating into the overall national development picture and strengthening regional cooperation. Hong Kong relies on the construction of the Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao‘s Greater Bay Area to expand employment space in areas such as technological innovation and modern services industry, and consolidate its status as an international financial center, strengthening the basis for people‘s livelihood security. Macao, on the other hand, promotes moderate economic diversity development through the construction of the Hengqin, Guangdong and Macao Deep Cooperation Zone, creating more opportunities for residents to find employment, and continuously enhancing people‘s well-being.
Improving Welfare
In Hong Kong, the first minimum wage level determined by the new mechanism of “one inspection per year” under statutory wages is expected to take effect on May 1. The Macao Special Administrative Region Government said that the new year will expand the “Employment + Training” special programme to the financial, construction and public works areas; promote the construction of comprehensive vocational training platforms, introducing public higher schools and funded groups in the first phase, and expect to provide 500 training courses this year.
The Macao Special Administrative Region Government stated in its Policy Address for the 2026 Financial Year that it will continue to improve elderly services and implement the “2026-2035 10-Year Action Plan” to pilot cross-border pension services. It will continue to communicate with relevant departments and partners in Zhuhai and Zhongshan, and initiate pilot arrangements for transfer of hospitals to the Mainland. It will promote cross-border connectivity in welfare. It will further expand the coverage of health insurance subsidies covering the Mainland to the entire Guangdong Province and Fujian Province. It will promote deep connectivity of social security public services in Guangdong and Macao, and plan amendments to eliminate social security entitlement barriers.
“In the 5 years from FY2026 to FY2027, the total number of public housing units built in Hong Kong will reach 189,000 units, which is about 80% more than when I took office. The HKSAR Government is in a position to increase its efforts to assist basic housing acquisition,” Li Jiachao said. Currently, the HKSAR Government is vigorously pushing for more simple public housing projects to be implemented.
In Macau, public housing construction is also continuing to be pushed forward, with 4,088 community housing units expected to be completed one after another between 2026 and 2027.
Looking forward to the future, the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Region Governments will continue to persevere in enhancing the well-being of the people in development, creating a better life for the citizens. What the people hope for, the government aims towards. In the new year, with the full support of the Central Government and the Motherland, the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Region Government will definitely unite to lead various sectors of society to actively connect with the “Fifteen-Fifteen” plan, fully utilizing the unique strengths and important roles of Hong Kong and Macao, while better integrating and serving the country‘s overall development picture, further optimizing the system of the people’s well-being and doing well with the people’s well-being.