Is tenant participation conducive to enhancing neighborly interaction in public rental housing estates

As the world advances and communications keep improving, most people understandably are looking for better living qualities instead of merely a 'shelter'. These include not only the middle or upper classes but also those residing in government subsidized public housing such as the ones in Hong Kong. Although public housing estates are only meant to offer a very low-cost environment meeting basic accommodation needs, people still wants to enjoy daily living in terms of community harmony, friendly and helpful neighborhood, mutual interaction, and common social activities. Thus, in Hong Kong, research studies have since been proposed to determine the possible factors that can increase the life quality for public housing, given that these budgeted estates do not carry much commercial values and are limited in space, location, and architectural merits. The term "tenant participation", introduced by Linneman and Megbolugbe, refers to the active participation of tenants in well-organized manner to influence and improve their own living conditions. Tenants will be able to seek more rights and involvement in the healthy and pleasant development for their own estates. In 1995, the Housing Authority launched the Estate Management Advisory Committee (EMAC) Scheme to address the rising aspiration of tenant participation. An EMAC estate allow tenants to participate in local management matters, design of housing units, provision of facilities, and partnering arrangements. Consequently, it is expected that tenants there will develop a stronger sense of belongings, foster a more harmony neighborhood, and enhance neighborly interaction. For non-EMAC estates, tenant participation would be weak due to lack of resources in organizing interesting activities, relatively less community attachment, and shorter length of resident period. The purpose of this research work aims to qualify and quantify the degree of tenant participation for EMAC estates, versus the non-EMAC ones. And hence we will be able to make recommendations to enhance neighborly interaction. Our research approach first depends on a survey exercise in three selected public rental housing estates. The survey is specially-designed to serve two purposes: 1) identifying the factors affecting neighborly interaction for both EMAC and non-EMAC estates; and 2) evaluating the degree of tenant participation in affecting neighborly interaction in three categories – EMAC with members taking active involvement, EMAC with less active involvement, and finally the non-EMAC. Approach next is to substantiate the survey findings with explanation by considering three orthogonal aspects: 1) the change of policy on EMAC Scheme, on EMAC funding arrangement, and on the enhanced partnering arrangement among EMACs and NGOs; 2) the design of housing blocks and community facilities provided in EMAC and non-EMAC estates; and 3) the sociological impact which considers the residents' aspiration and feeling on living environment as well as their desire on community building activities. Applying the above statistical approach on our targeted population, we have obtained reasonable sample sizes of normal distribution spanning working and non-working classes, genders, and various age groups. By analyzing the results, we have confirmed our hypothesis and further been able to make recommendations to strengthen neighborly interaction for our public rental housing estates. In concluding the research, we are putting forward three specific recommendations: 1) on top of establishing EMACs, we should extensively promote and facilitate the enhanced partnering arrangements jointly with NGOs, Voluntary Agencies (VA), and Residents Associations (RA); 2) for an estate which is still not EMAC-ready, we should help and fund to establish a local community service and activity task force to build up effective and attractive tenant participation; and 3) we should allow higher flexibility in the use of EMAC funding according to specific needs of an estate as some may demand more improvement works while some may want more partnering functions and activities due to dynamic population fluctuation.published_or_final_versionHousing ManagementMasterMaster of Housing Managemen