NGOs calls for more compassion for the homeless
An alliance of six NGOs supporting street sleepers on Sunday called on Hongkongers to show more compassion for the homeless. The Homeless Alliance said there is less negativity shown towards street sleepers nowadays, but there is still room for the public to better understand their plight.  The alliance held a fair on Sunday and invited people to sit in a demonstration set-up of cardboards and umbrellas to experience homelessness. There were also sharing sessions where current and former street sleepers shared their life stories.  A former homeless person, Siu-hing, said she was happy to tell people about herself. "I hope people will not look at homeless people with prejudice," she told RTHK. "I've had it rough." Chi-keung, who said he was a big spender before becoming homeless, said he hopes people can learn from his experience. "People who become homeless all have their stories, I'm sharing mine so people will be alert," he said. Isaac Ho, who works for ImpactHK – one of the six NGOs in the alliance – said fair participants can also learn how to communicate with the underprivileged.  "Don't miss the self-introduction when you approach them, let them know you're here as a human being to care for another human being," he said. He urged the government to devise policies to support those who’re homeless, including having a longer notice period before cleaning the streets, and arranging housing for them in the long run. "If we want to tackle [homelessness], we give them a home to live first. And then medical, social counseling, employment services can also be delivered to them. Sleeping in a more stable and safe environment is the foundation of change."