Hong Kong’s Poverty Alleviation Commission will be renamed the Commission on Targeted Poverty Alleviation from 2 September 2026, the government said. Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki chaired the new-term commission’s first meeting on the same day.
The government said the change was intended to underline its policy direction and commitment to advancing targeted poverty alleviation. Chan said the administration was building a poverty alleviation system covering housing, healthcare, education and social welfare, with the aim of identifying target groups and providing focused support to those most in need.
The new commission supports adjusting the targeted poverty strategy as society changes. It will review the groups covered by the strategy and add new groups when appropriate, although the government has not specified which groups may be reviewed or added.
The government is also preparing a social welfare project matching platform to connect resources from the government, business sector and civil society. It plans to hold the platform’s first matching event within 2026, but has not yet announced its operating arrangements, participating organisations or a date for the event.
At its first meeting, the commission received briefings on the work of the Community Care Fund and the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund, including progress on related assistance programmes.
The government’s next steps include refining the targeted groups and developing the resource-matching platform. Details of any changes to the groups and the platform’s operation remain to be announced.