Wong Lai Chun, Former Executive Director of Hong Kong Housing Society
“During my years at the Hong Kong Housing Society (“HKHS”), there was a period when I served as the estate-in-charge at Kwun Tong Garden Estate in around the 1980s,” recalls Wong Lai Chun (LC), former Executive Director of HKHS. In those devoted years, she managed multiple housing estates for HKHS respectively, the largest scaled one with the most units being Kwun Tong Garden Estate. LC developed a profound respect for her colleagues, as they tended the estate with great care, treating it as if it was their own home. “There were many HKHS estates built on hillsides, and Kwun Tong Garden Estate was no exception. Although measures were taken to prevent landslips on the nearby hill, rocks would still tumble down occasionally during typhoons or storms. Back then, I was impressed by the way our colleagues used binoculars to inspect the rocks. They were so familiar with the hill that they could tell even if the rocks moved!”
Kwun Tong Garden Estate began welcoming residents in the 1960s, with a total of over 3,400 units completed in two phases, accommodating residents that once exceeded 20,000. As the Estate-in-charge, LC’s responsibilities were to coordinate matters including leasing and complaint handling etc. With her hands-on approach to managing the entire estate, she vividly recalls the atmosphere of Kwun Tong Garden Estate in the 1980s. “There were many shops near Ngau Tau Kok Road, such as cafes and stall operators bustling with activity. Once you went up the slope, though, it would become quieter. Trucks could often be seen parked along the road from the bottom of the slope to Yin Chee Lau, as many residents were truck drivers.”
In LC’s memory, Kwun Tong Garden Estate in the 1980s was so vibrant with children’s joyful laughter. “In those days, there weren’t many plants on the estate. There were only a few benches between blocks and plenty of open space where kids could play football. The roundabout on the ground level of Yin Chee Lau was a favourite spot!”
In her role as the Estate-in-charge over 30 years ago, LC managed various housing estates, including Jat Min Chuen, Lai Tak Tsuen, and Chun Seen Mei Chuen, each with their unique characteristics. “Each estate had a personality of its own. For example, Yue Kwong Chuen, where residents were primarily boat dwellers, spoke in rural dialects, embraced some elements of the boat dwellers’ way of life. As Kwun Tong Garden Estate was situated in an industrial area, it came with a workers’ dormitory.” She recalls that the dormitory for workers was in the “flower blocks” (now redeveloped as Lotus Towers), which were converted from larger units. “It was essentially renting beds, with a bed and a locker per person. The rent was very affordable, and the location was convenient for them to work nearby.” According to a colleague involved in the construction of Kwun Tong Garden Estate, they had to take ‘Walla-Walla’ (small passenger motorboats) to Kwun Tong. Those factory workers had only a couple of choices back then: either took boats or endured long bus rides, both of which were expensive and time-consuming. That’s how Kwun Tong Garden Estate came to life. LC observed that the workers got along well and became like a family after spending so much time together. “Some were so reluctant to move out of the dormitory even after retiring, and they stayed until the redevelopment from dormitory to Lotus Towers finally happened.”
During Hong Kong’s industrial boom, Kwun Tong was one of the prominent “industrial hubs”, and Kwun Tong Garden Estate stood as the largest housing estate in the area. The estate’s leasing, maintenance and resident relations issues were very complex, and our staff had to take on a broad range of responsibilities. “In those days, residents of low-cost housing typically had lower levels of education and modest incomes, and the estate staff was their primary point of contact. When they encountered problems, they often had limited alternatives to seeking assistance. They would turn to the estate staff for help, whether trivial or significant matters, and we would do our best to assist if possible.”
“We often received complaints from residents, for example kids accidentally injured others while playing football in the open spaces.” LC recalls the innovative approaches she and her colleagues use to resolve such disputes. She chuckled, “At first, the kids would argue with you, saying, ‘there aren’t any signs here forbidding football playing!’ So, we tried to put up a sign saying ‘No Football’. Of course they ignored it, so we become more stringent and “confiscate” their footballs. They were very upset and would come to the office asking for it back. That’s when we tried to be more lenient and negotiated with them by establishing rules. If the rules are violated again, their football will be kept by us for a month before they can get it back! Looking back now, these memories were so hilarious.”
LC, whom residents addressed as “Miss Wong”, thinks that working in estate management in those years often felt akin to being a social worker. After all, the objective of estate management is to provide residents with a better living environment, while handling issues with a people-oriented approach. “Although the scale of Kwun Tong Garden Estate is large, its staff and residents have developed a close relationship and an intimate bond with the estate.” To this day, like LC, former colleagues of Yin Chee Lau still remember vividly the scene with the children and their beloved football. “This was not merely a job. This place was like a second home.”
Kwun Tong Garden Estate
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