“In the past, living in the wooden huts, I could touch the ceiling just by raising my hand; it was truly cramped.” Sin Kam-on, a resident of Pak Sha Lau for nearly half a century, shakes his head with a sigh as he recalls those difficult years. 

Growing up on fishing boats in Aberdeen, he continued working at sea as an adult, working on yachts for a monthly income of just over a thousand dollars. To provide a stable home for his wife and children, he settled in a wooden hut converted from a pigsty at Wong Chuk Hang Path. However, the space of just over a hundred square feet was packed with a family of four. With the kitchen and toilet located outside, he worried every night about the threat of fire. “The moment I heard fire engines, my heart would panic; I couldn’t sleep soundly a single night.”

In 1986, he was finally allocated a flat in Pak Sha Lau, Yue Kwong Chuen. The whole family was overjoyed, even visiting to “take a look” at their future comfortable life before formally moving in. What comforted him most was that many of his neighbours from the wooden huts also benefited from the housing policy of the time and moved in together, allowing their community bonds to continue. Following the birth of his third child, he applied to the Housing Society for a transfer, and the family of five eventually moved into a more spacious unit.

Moving from a wooden hut to a rental estate, Sin deeply appreciated the happiness that comes with a secure home. He says that being able to settle down in Yue Kwong Chuen makes him “truly grateful—finally having a proper roof over our heads, no longer living in fear.” His story reflects the historical transition of many who moved from harsh environments towards a stable, settled life.