The grim reality of life in Hong Kong’s ‘coffin homes’ | Talking Post with Yonden Lhatoo

Summary

The video script sheds light on Hong Kong's affordable housing crisis, highlighting the plight of over 210,000 people living in subdivided flats and cage homes. It features activist Cai Shan, who has dedicated over two decades to advocating for the underprivileged. Despite a government pledge to address the issue by 2049, the reality remains grim, with many living in squalor and facing long waits for public housing. The script emphasizes the need for awareness and societal support to improve living conditions.

Takeaways

• 🏙️ Hong Kong, despite its prosperity, faces a severe affordable housing crisis with over 210,000 people living in subdivided flats.
• 💡 CI Shan Wa is a dedicated social worker who has spent over 20 years advocating for better living conditions for the underprivileged.
• 🗓️ China's top official has set a deadline of 2049 for Hong Kong to eliminate unacceptable housing conditions.
• 🏠 Subdivided units in Hong Kong are alarmingly small, averaging just 11 square meters, even smaller than an average parking space.
• 📉 The prevalence of metal cage homes has decreased, but 'upgraded' alternatives like coffin homes still offer inadequate living conditions.
• 🤝 Social workers like Cai Shan provide essential support to those living in these conditions, including food coupons and housing applications.
• 👴 Many retirees in these conditions rely on government welfare payments, which are barely sufficient to cover their rent and basic needs.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families, including children, are forced to live in these cramped spaces, sharing limited facilities and struggling with high rent.
• 📈 The demand for public housing is overwhelming, with over 133,000 people on the waiting list and waiting times that can exceed a decade.
• 🏢 Hong Kong's leader, Chief Executive John Lee, has prioritized affordable housing, but the timeline for significant improvements is lengthy.
• 🙏 The script emphasizes the importance of awareness and gratitude for those who live in better conditions, while advocating for policy changes to address the housing crisis.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the transcript?

The main issue discussed in the transcript is the chronic shortage of affordable housing in Hong Kong, particularly the squalid living conditions of the underprivileged who live in subdivided flats and cage homes.

Who is Ci Shan Wa and what is her role?

Ci Shan Wa is a tireless campaigner for the downtrodden who has spent over 20 years helping them secure a roof over their heads or trying to ease their suffering in cramped living conditions.

What is the deadline set by China's top official for Hong Kong to rid itself of unacceptable housing?

China's top official responsible for Hong Kong Affairs has given the local government a clear deadline to rid the city of such unacceptable housing by 2049.

What is the average size and median monthly rent of the subdivided units in Hong Kong?

The average size of the subdivided units is a measly 118 square feet or 11 square meters, and the median monthly rent is $5,000.

How does the living condition in the subdivided units compare to the average parking space in Hong Kong?

The average size of the subdivided units is even smaller than the average parking space in a city that boasts of the highest number of Rolls-Royces per capita.

What challenges did social workers face during the COVID-19 pandemic when visiting the subdivided units?

During COVID-19, social workers faced challenges such as curtailed movements, the difficulty of isolating infected individuals in such small spaces, and the need to deliver masks and support to the residents.

What is the current situation with public housing in Hong Kong?

More than 133,000 hopefuls are currently in the queue for public housing, with some waiting up to 10 years, indicating a daunting prospect for those in need.

How does the government plan to address the housing problem?

The government aims to look at all the homes like these and decide which is up to living standards and which is below, with the intention of shutting down those that do not meet standards.

What is the role of social workers like Cai Shan in supporting tenants in subdivided units?

Social workers like Cai Shan provide additional support to tenants by regularly visiting them to hand out food coupons and help them apply for better housing.

What is the perspective of the residents living in these conditions about the government's ability to provide better housing?

Many residents, like Uncle Lang, have no faith in the government's ability to provide better housing, having been through the process before and seeing little improvement.

What is the significance of the 2049 deadline mentioned in the transcript?

The 2049 deadline signifies that the government has around 26 years left to meet the target of eliminating cramped and unsuitable accommodation in the city, as set by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director.

Outlines

00:00

🏙️ Hong Kong's Housing Crisis

The script opens with a discussion about Hong Kong's severe affordable housing shortage, a problem that plagues the city despite its wealth. It introduces CI Shan, a dedicated campaigner who has been assisting the underprivileged in securing better living conditions for over two decades. The narrative emphasizes the stark contrast between the city's prosperity and the squalid living conditions of those in subdivided flats, with over 210,000 people living in such spaces. The script also mentions the Chinese government's directive to resolve this issue by 2049, but acknowledges the challenge of achieving this goal.

05:00

🏡 Life in Substandard Housing

This section delves into the realities of living in Hong Kong's substandard housing, highlighting the experiences of residents in笼屋 (cage homes) and subdivided units. The script describes a visit to such a home, discussing the poor ventilation and the imminent threat of eviction to make way for even more cramped subdivided units. It underscores the relative 'improvement' in living conditions when moving from a cage home to a subdivided unit, despite the conditions still being far from ideal. The script also discusses the impact of COVID-19 on these residents, who often lack the space to isolate themselves, and the government's efforts to provide support.

10:28

👴 The Struggles of Retirees

The script focuses on the plight of elderly residents like Uncle L, who have lived in these conditions for years and continue to do so due to the lack of better housing options. It discusses the challenges faced by retirees who rely on government welfare and the long wait times for public housing. The narrative also touches on the role of social workers like Cai Shan, who provide additional support to these tenants, and the sense of community and resilience among the residents despite their difficult circumstances.

15:35

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families in Overcrowded Conditions

This part of the script explores the living conditions of families with children in subdivided flats, emphasizing the challenges of raising a family in such cramped spaces. It discusses the high cost of rent relative to the size of the living space and the shared facilities such as kitchens and toilets. The script also highlights the government's efforts to streamline the public housing application process and the direct pressure from Beijing to address the housing crisis, with a specific deadline of 2049 set to eliminate such unsuitable accommodations.

20:37

🌟 Hope for a Housing Solution

The final section of the script is an interview with a social activist, CA Shan, who discusses her motivation for helping those in need and her hopes for the future. It reflects on the importance of raising awareness about the housing crisis and the need for policy changes to improve living conditions. The script also addresses the government's plan to tackle the issue, the concerns about potential loopholes that might allow some substandard housing to remain, and the activist's cautious optimism about the possibility of change within the 26-year timeframe set by Beijing.

Keywords

💡Affordable Housing

Affordable housing refers to residential properties that are priced or rented at a cost that is affordable to those with moderate to low incomes. In the context of the video, it highlights the chronic shortage of such housing in Hong Kong, which is a pressing issue for the underprivileged population. The script mentions that over 210,000 people are crammed into tiny subdivided flats, indicating the severity of the affordable housing crisis.

💡Subdivided Flats

Subdivided flats are residential units that have been partitioned into smaller spaces to accommodate more tenants. These are often found in cities with high population density and a lack of affordable housing. The script describes how these flats are a common reality for many in Hong Kong, with people living in cramped conditions that are far from ideal.

💡Coffin Homes

Coffin homes are a type of extremely small living space, often used as a derogatory term to describe the poor living conditions of these units. They are typically found in Hong Kong and are characterized by their tiny size and high rent. The video script mentions these as an upgraded alternative to cage homes, but still representing a significant housing issue.

💡Cage Homes

Cage homes are a form of makeshift housing consisting of wire mesh cages stacked on top of each other to provide a minimal living space. They are indicative of severe housing shortages and are highlighted in the script as a symbol of the dire living conditions faced by some of Hong Kong's residents.

💡Social Activism

Social activism involves people working collectively to bring about social, political, or environmental change. In the video, the social activist CI Shan Wa is mentioned as a tireless campaigner who has spent over 20 years helping the underprivileged secure better housing conditions, embodying the spirit of social activism.

💡Public Housing

Public housing refers to government-owned housing that is rented out to eligible low- and moderate-income families at below-market rates. The script discusses the long waiting lists for public housing in Hong Kong, which can span up to 10 years, illustrating the demand and the government's struggle to provide sufficient affordable housing.

💡Waiting List

A waiting list is a register of people who are awaiting access to a service or resource, such as public housing. The video script notes that there are over 133,000 hopefuls on the public housing waiting list, emphasizing the scale of the housing crisis and the desperation of those seeking better living conditions.

💡Comprehensive Social Security Assistance

Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) is a form of social welfare that provides financial support to low-income individuals or families. The script mentions CSSA as one of the ways that the government supports those living in subdivided and coffin homes, although it is clear that this assistance is not sufficient to alleviate the housing crisis.

💡Housing Policy

Housing policy refers to the strategies and actions taken by the government to address housing needs and regulate the housing market. The video discusses the Hong Kong government's policy challenges, including the need to define what constitutes acceptable living standards and the goal to eliminate substandard housing by 2049.

💡Upward Mobility

Upward mobility refers to the ability of individuals or families to improve their social and economic status. The script uses the example of a girl doing her homework in a small subdivided flat, expressing a hope that education will lead to better living conditions and upward mobility in the future.

💡Gratitude

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. The video script concludes with a call for viewers to appreciate their own living conditions and to be grateful for what they have, contrasting their situation with those living in the subdivided and coffin homes discussed throughout the video.

Highlights

Hong Kong's prosperity overshadowed by a chronic shortage of affordable housing.

Over 210,000 people live in tiny subdivided flats.

CI Shan Wa is a campaigner helping the underprivileged secure housing for over 20 years.

China's top official sets a 2049 deadline to eliminate unacceptable housing in Hong Kong.

Cage homes and subdivided units are common despite being substandard.

The average size of subdivided units is 11 square meters, smaller than a parking space.

Coffin homes are partitioned units with thin wooden boards or wire mesh, offering more privacy but at a higher cost.

During COVID-19, living conditions in these units made isolation difficult and increased the risk of infection.

70-year-old Uncle L pays $2,400 a month for a tiny space, sharing toilets with 19 other households.

Uncle L has been waiting for public housing for 7 years without success.

More than 133,000 people are on the waiting list for public housing, which can take up to 10 years.

Retirees in coffin homes often rely on government welfare payments to survive.

Social workers like Cai Shan provide additional support to tenants, including food coupons and housing applications.

Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, prioritizes affordable housing but asks for patience as it may take a decade.

A family of three shares a small subdivided flat with 14 other tenants, paying nearly $5,000 in rent.

Mr. T has been waiting for public housing for over 15 years, expressing frustration with the complicated process.

The Hong Kong government is under pressure from Beijing to address the housing crisis with a 2049 deadline.

Cai Shan Wa's motivation for social work stems from a desire to help those in poor conditions and improve policy.

Despite some improvements, the living conditions of the poor in Hong Kong are still unacceptable.

There is a concern that the government may use loopholes to avoid fully addressing the housing crisis.

Cai Shan Wa hopes for the complete elimination of substandard housing in Hong Kong.

Transcripts

[Music]

for all the prosperity and progress that

Hong Kong can boast of its track record

is bogged down by one seemingly

insurmountable problem The Chronic

shortage of affordable housing beneath

the glittery facade of one of the

world's most affluent cities there is no

glossing over the squalid living

conditions of the underprivileged with

more than 210,000 people crammed into

tiny subdivided Flats

if there is one bright light in these

dark settings it may well be CI Shan wa

hello a tireless campaigner for the

downtrodden who has spent more than 20

years helping them secure a roof over

their heads or trying to ease their

suffering in the cramped confines of

what they call home so once we have the

better parcy and they feel not so uh

helpless or they can have more hope this

is uh my mission she gives a voice to

those who have none while living in

Desperate

conditions China's top official

responsible for Hong Kong Affairs has

given the local government a clear

deadline to rid the city of such

unacceptable housing by

2049 but it may be easier said than done

I don't believe my

Governor we go to for four for this

episode of talking post we leave the

comfort of a comparatively spacious

Studio to visit some of this City's

notorious coffin homes to give you an

idea of what life is like for the less

fortunate Among

[Music]

Us Hong Kong's underbelly of substandard

subdivided housing for the poor and

underprivileged is a sorted story that

has been told over and over again for

decades because it's nothing new those

who can afford Better Homes and live in

more Comfort May well be desensitized to

the plight of the less fortunate among

us but it's only when you see it for

yourself up close and personal that you

get a sense of how unacceptable the

situation is in such a prosperous City

take this cage home in Mok for

example can you tell us a little bit

about uh what's the setup here how many

people live here now it is uh still

people living here before it's fully

occupied but now the landord they want

to coose it and then change it to

subdivided otherwise be fully occupy or

even here is the PES of people so now is

around four five people depends on

situation yeah so when you say this is

going to be converted into a subdivided

unit now so it's a bit of an improvement

in living standards right uh I think

compared to what it is now just this

cage home yeah some other cage home

therefore are not not want to C they

still continue and many people they

living yeah and and now actually for

this kind of material um aom is very few

of this kind many of them they are eting

the wood and cannot see inside and they

because they want more piracy but the

ventilation is even poorer yeah and the

and the rent would be more expensive

yeah so whatever Improvement we're

talking about upgrade in living

standards you have to take that with a

pinch of salt because it's all relative

so from these appalling conditions we're

going to have slightly less appalling

when they upgrade that's how it works

right yeah or even for here they said

those new design C even the ventilation

is poor than their based on the official

2021 census the government estimates

that more than

215,000 people live in 10

18,200 subdivided units in Hong

Kong the average size of these units

which command a median monthly rent of

$5,000 is am measly 118 sare ft or 11

square m even smaller than the average

parking space in a city that boasts of

the highest number of rolls-royces per

capita metal cage homes are not as

prevalent as they were in the old days

but can that be called progress the

upgraded alternatives are still coffin

homes partitioned box-like units stacked

from floor to ceiling separated by Thin

wooden boards or wire mesh they come

with more privacy than CAG

but also at a higher

price so we're walking down this

Corridor now and we're looking at all

this in slightly more normal times I

don't think both of us can fit together

but anyway I want to ask you uh you

obviously visit these places regularly

and you check in on the health and

everything how difficult was it during

covid you know our movements were all

curtailed everyone was terrified they

all wearing masks yeah it's hard time

because when one is uh suffer from Co

and then the other they will be easy to

be infed so and and no room to isolate

right isolate is for rich people even

they don't have enough mask so we need

to deliver the mask to them or and then

support them and then even they call the

government how to rehouse them to other

PE their PES separately otherwise they

will be others also in you did your

round still even then when wearing a

mask yeah yeah yeah yeah we we even

doing the pro we we come to visit and

and and help them quite Brave of you

must to be able to do that I can't even

imagine how can you fit in this how do

you get in there yeah it's how you

cannot stand up and then you need to uh

ban yourself to go inside so get up and

then there 20 household here yeah 20

households

yeah among them is 70-year-old Uncle L

who pays

$2,400 a month for the tiny space he

calls Home Sharing two toilets with 19

other

households behind me you can see this is

Uncle L's

house I can't get inside so I have to

sit here to talk to him uh there's a

tiny little toilet just across here so

it's so narrow as you can see but if you

look at his home he's made a nice little

place for himself it's comfortable he's

got a little air corn going out there so

I'm not sweating so much because there's

a little bit of Breeze coming in so you

know people make the both uh make the

best of what they have it's quite

admirable if you think about it Uncle so

how long have you been here 7 years 7

years yeah you live alone

yep have you ever applied for public

housing anything better than this not

yet not yet why not uh here is here by

here a company also I live here almost

20 20 years I I love here all around

here I see because this is your

neighborhood you want to be here where

you know the people your friends are

here and it's more convenient for you so

you're okay even this in this tiny

little space as long as you have your

network of people around you

yeah people like Uncle can be eligible

for an affordable public rental flat but

the prospect of spending up to 10 years

on the waiting list is daunting more

than

133,000 hopefuls are currently in the

queue do you have any hope that maybe

one day you'll be offered something

better I I don't believe my government

you don't believe in the government yeah

so one of the uh targets of our

government is to look at all these homes

like yours and decide which is up to

living standards and which is below

living standards and Below living

standards they want to get rid of it

they want to shut it

down are you worried about uh your

living standards here whether it will be

considered okay for you to continue or

not okay you need to get

out so essentially Uncle Lang here has

no faith in the government he's uh been

there done that has t-shirt and he sees

no hope which is quite sad when you

think about it but this is their

situation and this is the best that they

can uh make out of

it many retirees living in coffin homes

survive on welfare payments from the

government's comprehensive Social

Security assistance and old age

allowance schemes receiving a monthly

sum of around

$5,300 uncle Wong is one of them he has

been living here for 8 years and pays a

monthly rent of 2,800 for his

room social workers like Cai Shan

provide additional support to such

tenants regularly visiting them to hand

out food coupons and help them apply for

better

housing so you can see that this is a a

big upgrade from a cage home but it's

still a little tiny little subdivided

unit and he's just made a really

comfortable place for himself even with

the little space that he

has yeah but the the is not really well

uh renovated sure he's very dangerous

because he de here this is his bed yeah

his bed yeah

yeah anyway they have the IND IND

kitchen the toilet inside yeah but are

you are you okay living by yourself like

this uh this is the best

you

he said I I have many disease I I maybe

not many years to live so so he don't

want to the

others

four F when it's h open you know our

government officials will be watching

this video does he have anything to say

to

them

no he has more years 80 is okay people

live till

90 Hong Kong's leader chief executive

John Lee has made the Quest for

affordable housing a top priority for

his administration whether he will be

able to deliver where his predecessors

could not will be a test of his promise

new style of leadership but Lee has

appealed for patience saying it will

take a decade for the city to build up a

surplus of

homes so we're going into a subdivided

home now and we're going to take a look

at how families and how going live

families with children so they are 14 uh

bed space and then one room 14 bed

spaces in this h yeah there best space

and then one room is for the family

share

together wait

[Music]

hello this Mr J family hello before

actually this room is leaving one man

and they are 3,500 but now because a

person so charge 4,000 for the same

space just because more people are know

who small I think they don't have the 40

x square

ft you know for this size of flat nearly

$5,000 if you look at it per square foot

it's one of the most expensive places in

Hong Kong right yeah yeah yeah too too

expensive this the the rent receipt

4,00 4,800 so it's nearly $5,000 yeah

yeah

uh and then you need to pay for the uh

electricity fee sear yeah yeah so will

be over

5,000 expensive for this one room this

only one room I need to share with other

house 14 household with the the kitchen

and toilet

facilities don't have

K the only

[Music]

toilet two toilets so cooking is inside

the

room Mr T lives with his wife and

daughter in this small room in chims Cho

the family shares a subdivided flat with

14 other tenants who occupy one bed

space

each he earns about $16,000 per month of

which $5,000 is consumed by rent the

rest goes towards his pension fund

transport food bills and his daughter's

schooling so I'm peeking through this

door here and you have this little girl

here doing her homework she's on the

floor and she's on this tiny little

table fold out table and this is how

they get

educated but of course the hope is that

she gets educated and she lives in much

better conditions when she has a proper

job so that's upward Mobility if you can

have upward Mobility when you live

like Mr T has been languishing in the

queue for public housing for more than

15 years starting as a single person and

then joining the waiting list for

families he complains that the

government has made the process too

complicated and wasted much of his

time

for

unlike in the past the Hong Kong

government is now under direct pressure

from Beijing to get a grip on the city's

housing problem Hong Kong and Macau

Affairs office director shaba long has

set 2049 as the deadline for the

elimination of cramped and unsuitable

accommodation in the city it means that

the government has around 26 years left

to meet the

target

for

for

so we're in the common kitchen area of

this whole subdivided uh flat it's been

split into several sections there are

several families living here and this is

their communal area where there's not

much cooking to be done there's a little

bit of a sink there and very very basic

I have to say after looking all of at

all of this tonight I have two main

takeaways one is the importance of

raising awareness about how people in

Hong Kong are living like this and

that's important through a social

activist like her CA Shan who helps

these people out and raises awareness

through the media like us the other

takeaway I must say personally is for

all of us who don't live like this who

live in much better conditions to just

take a step back and to appreciate and

be grateful for what we have considering

that there are so many others who have

nothing of this sort I think that's

really really important for us uh San I

I have to say I admire the work that

you've been doing you've been doing this

for many many years I think you are kind

of kind of a savior for these people I

notice how you slip in a little food

stamp to them when we met these families

and this is very very important but I do

want to ask you it's a bit of a

thankless job it's tough work to visit

these families uh to make sure that

they're okay what's what's your

motivation what reward do you get for

this it's definitely not money uh I

think for myself I when I was young I

studying and then know about the social

and there no pett people in Hong Kong

there even they rich rich Society but we

have many people there even in poor

conditions and so actually I want to do

a job is more meaningful and can help

people so I join the social work field

because sometimes actually there's a

policy problems and it should be solved

by the government and also the community

can help and so once we have the better

policy and once we have more people

they're willing to lend their hand and

um they are empowered and they feel not

so uh helpless or they can have more

hope so they would be uh make them they

living better and make our society

better so this is uh my mission I think

they are more stronger than us because

they in really difficult situations but

they still try their best to overcome

and even in their really difficult

hardship and we can see that we help

each other and then sometimes they help

us actually because we're too much work

low and then be a helper be a volunteer

to help others I think this is really uh

rewarding and this is that that's what I

treasure yeah you've been doing this for

so many years has there been progress

are are we doing better are you hopeful

that it will

eventually be something that Hong Kong

no longer has to be ashamed of because

let's let's let's face it this this is

embarrassing for Hong Kong that people

live like this in this city which is the

most affluent in the world look at the

number of people with rolls-royces and

you know multiple homes and everything

that they have and then at the same time

we have this yeah you're correct

actually we should not have this kind of

housing in Hong Kong actually I join Soo

in 199 at5 so already 20 years AG ago

and uh I think the situation uh if for

those uh living conditions some of the

pools they are they have Improvement but

they are not really really B Improvement

because we still have C home assist and

people they still uh uh living in red

pool condition and besides the r is

going up is is another problems so uh we

hope uh there will be ucation of uh no

cage home No chical No Sa in Hong Kong

this is what we hope and I I actually we

feel happy to to know the government

they have a plan to cause those uh poor

conditions effect this 26 year deadline

that I keep talking to you about that

the government has been given notice by

Beijing um this response was yes they

have set up a task force they will look

into doing this but there was one caveat

that uh has been put out there by the

government and that makes me a little

bit worried because the it it seems to

be like an escape Clause like a loophole

there where they're saying we have to

decide first all these subdivided homes

which is considered up to standard which

we will have to allow and the ones where

the living standards are so poor those

have to be shut down so that means the

huge number of subdivided homes we have

not necessarily all of them will be shut

down at the same time uh so given all

this and looking at the condition of

this particular place for example we saw

something much worse I get the feeling

that something like this the government

would say well this is not so bad

compared to what we just saw there so

this is up to standard so there's no

need to get rid of this but honestly

when I look at this even if it's better

than some of the other units that we

looked at it's still unacceptable yeah

yeah so actually we also worry about it

and and weing and they should be have a

aim is uh finally there's no sub effect

in Hong Kong so they will be stage the

ran for example because we don't have

enough supply of housing so we have

maybe the first first uh batch is the uh

most deprived for the cage home to be ir

and then those very poor so I think they

was set and besides they should set at

how many household they can live and

every everyone at

uh for example uh if uh um the every

person's uh living space is less than

5.5 Square met is already uh not allowed

in the public housing so we think they

should be uh have something to to

measure in their sub one for yeah you

know forgive me for being a little uh

pessimistic but I'm not very hopeful

that this problem how and when is it

going to be solved but I do think people

like you the work that you do is very

important and the fact that you should

not lose hope so I hope you will carry

on doing what you're doing because it's

a great service to Hong Kong so thank

you and I think we we also there we have

you know the process we have many people

there W heart people in Hong Kong they

also very concerned and they join us to

have but I think it's very important for

the people that's good to know support

yeah so all the best for your work

please continue thank

[Music]

you

[Music]

for