Living in 15 sq ft: Inside Hong Kong’s coffin homes

Summary

Milton Chan and his family represent the harsh reality of Hong Kong's overcrowded housing crisis. Living in tiny, subdivided flats no larger than a ping pong table, tenants face unbearable conditions with limited privacy and space. Rent and utilities consume a significant portion of their income, leaving them little room for anything else. Despite these challenges, many residents still endure, hoping for a future in public housing. With an average wait time of 5.6 years, the Hong Kong government has set a target to end subdivided housing by 2049, but for now, these cramped conditions persist as the city's most vulnerable continue to wait.

Takeaways

• 😀 Milton Chan lives in a subdivided flat in Hong Kong, a space no larger than 15 square feet (1.4 square meters), costing him 1300 HKD a month, which is more than one-fifth of his monthly salary.
• 😀 Subdivided flats, which are cramped and claustrophobic, are a common housing solution for over 220,000 Hong Kong residents due to the city's extreme lack of affordable housing.
• 😀 Milton's current unit is barely big enough for a bed and little else. The space is smaller than a prison cell at Hong Kong's Stanley prison, which offers more space.
• 😀 The flats are typically divided into small wooden cubicles, each resembling a coffin, with limited privacy and shared facilities such as toilets and a kitchen.
• 😀 Milton's previous accommodation, a 'cage home,' was even smaller and more expensive. It had zero privacy with wire mesh walls and no cleaning service for shared facilities.
• 😀 Hong Kong's property market is the most expensive in the world, with nano flats costing several million HKD, driven by a shortage of land and an overpopulation of nearly 7.3 million people.
• 😀 The lack of affordable housing forces the poor to live in subdivided flats, with some units as small as 121 square feet and shared by entire families.
• 😀 Vanessa and Bill, a family of four, live in a 40-square-foot subdivided flat where large appliances take up most of their space. Despite the cramped conditions, they manage to survive on limited income.
• 😀 Bill, the sole breadwinner, earns 10,000 HKD a month as a supermarket worker, with half of their income going to rent and utilities.
• 😀 The Hong Kong government aims to end subdivided housing by 2049, but with a long wait for public housing offers and a housing shortage, many families remain stuck in these conditions for years.
• 😀 The average waiting time for public housing in Hong Kong is 5.6 years, with only 1 in 16 applicants receiving an offer. Families like Vanessa and Bill hope to move out before their children grow up.

Q & A

What is a subdivided flat in Hong Kong?

A subdivided flat is an apartment that has been carved into multiple smaller units, often wooden cubicles, to house more tenants due to high property costs and limited space. Each unit may be as small as 15 square feet.

How much space does Milton's unit occupy and how does it compare to a prison cell?

Milton's unit is 15 square feet (1.4 square meters), barely enough to lie down in. This is only one-fifth of the space given to inmates in Hong Kong's Stanley prison.

What are some challenges Milton faces living in a 15-square-foot unit?

Challenges include extremely limited storage, lack of privacy, noise disturbances from neighbors, reliance on hooks and shelves for belongings, and restricted living space that barely accommodates a bed.

Why is living space in Hong Kong so expensive?

Hong Kong has limited developable land—only about a quarter of the city is suitable for construction—while its population is nearly 7.3 million. This imbalance between supply and demand drives extremely high property prices.

What are typical features of subdivided flats in Hong Kong?

They usually have tiny living units, shared toilets and kitchens, stacked beds, minimal privacy, and very small personal space, often around 121 square feet for a slightly larger unit, sometimes housing entire families.

How do Vanessa and Bill manage living with their children in a subdivided flat?

They share two bunk beds among the four family members, store large items like the fridge and washing machine in limited space, and restrict cooking to non-greasy meals to avoid odors lingering. Vanessa also handles cleaning and childcare.

What proportion of household income do Milton and Bill spend on rent?

Milton spends over one-fifth of his monthly salary (around HK$1,300) on his tiny unit, while Bill spends more than half of his household income (about HK$6,000) on rent and utilities.

Why do some families prefer subdivided flats despite poor conditions?

Subdivided flats are sometimes more affordable than other options, provide some sense of privacy, and can be preferable to previous units that were even smaller, dirtier, or less functional.

What solutions does the Hong Kong government propose to address subdivided housing?

The government aims to increase housing supply and plans to end subdivided housing by 2049, but this is a long-term goal, leaving many residents with little immediate relief.

How long is the average waiting time for public housing in Hong Kong?

The average waiting time is 5.6 years, with only about one-sixth of applicants receiving an offer within that period.

How does the size of a 'nano flat' compare to everyday objects?

A nano flat is only slightly larger than an average parking space, yet it costs several million Hong Kong dollars due to the extreme scarcity of land and high demand.

What impact does the limited space in subdivided flats have on daily life?

Limited space affects sleeping arrangements, storage, privacy, cooking, hygiene, and overall comfort, making everyday activities like using the bathroom or preparing meals challenging.