UnitHome Project

UnitHome Project is a collaborative project by many domain experts in Hong Kong, led by Dream Impact and CUHK School of Architecture, aiming at resolving the Subdivided Unit (SDU) Housing problem in urban poverty in the context of Hong Kong. In 2020, we developed the ‘gamification’strategy turning complicated knowledge about housing financing schemes, co-living conflict resolutions, and strategies to exit poverty into user-friendly games. We piloted the initial design in 2020 and received numerous requests from organizations willing to adopt this methodology in their practice. To respond to the requests, we propose to further develop the garne to support the game experience and create a train-the-trainer curriculum, so that NGOs will receive the games and equipped to the workshop with SDU residents.

UnitHome Project is a collaborative project by many domain experts in Hong Kong, led by Dream Impact and CUHK School of Architecture, aiming at resolving the Subdivided Unit (SDU) Housing problem in urban poverty in the context of Hong Kong. In 2020, we developed the
‘gamification’strategy turning complicated knowledge about housing financing schemes, co-living conflict resolutions, and strategies to exit poverty into user-friendly games.
We piloted the initial design in 2020 and received numerous requests from organizations willing to adopt this methodology in their practice. To respond to the requests, we propose to further develop the garne to support the game experience and create a train-the-trainer curriculum, so that NGOs will receive the games and equipped to the workshop with SDU residents.

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2021
Grantee: Tat Lam

For the last 10 years, Dr. Tat Lam has been working in social development and social finance projects for poverty alleviation, regional development and community development in China, Southeast Asia and many countries in the global south. He is the founder and CEO of SZC Holdings Limited, leading the development of next generation data technologies and change management models for social development and social finance, specifically adapting blockchain and data science technologies to empower value driven ventures. Dr. Lam received his master degree from Columbia University in New York and his PhD from UCL in London. He is academically trained as an urban planner, development economist and social anthropologist. His research and publications focus on urban poverty, digital anthropology and data science empowerment for underserved communities. Dr. Lam has been teaching in CUHK School of Architecture for design and research studio and lectures of urban entrepreneurship in the last decade.

 

Organisation: UnitHome Project

The UnitHome Project is a collaborative social design consortium motivated by Dr. Tat Lam and Dorothy Lam, putting together resources from Shanzhai City, Dream Impact and other partners including Kai Fong Tour, Social Venture Hong Kong, Arcial, Social Enterprise Submit, Future City Summit, collaborating by implementation NGOs in Sham Shui Po area, such as Christian Concern for The Homeless Association, ImpactHK, Caritas (SSP), SoCO and academically supported by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University JCDISI, MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node and CUHK School of Architecture. This consortium started working together in August 2020, as a research project exploring alternative housing solutions for subdivided unit (SDU) residents in Sham Shui Po. Our goal is to develop the next generation practical housing solution for the poverty community in Hong Kong, through innovative financial and private-public-partnership design.