HONG KONG — Jimmy Au’s living environment becomes exceedingly confined when she returns home each day, resembling a cramped parking space. Her Hong Kong residence is one of four converted units from a previously single apartment. The bulk of the space is consumed by the bunk bed that she shares with her husband and son, which frequently disrupts their sleep due to the late-night and early-morning antics of neighbors. Moreover, Au’s son often suffers from bruises as he collides with various objects in their limited space, while their modesty is compromised by only having a curtain to separate the bathroom from the kitchen.
What gnaws at Au even more than the physical constraints is the looming possibility of losing her home. The Hong Kong government intends to take measures against what it labels as inadequate housing in subdivided apartments, establishing a minimum size as well as other essential standards for living spaces like Au’s. The public consultation period regarding these proposed regulations has concluded, and the government aims to enact these rules as law within the year.
The uncertainty surrounding the new regulations has left numerous low-income families like Au’s anxious about their future in one of the globe’s priciest housing markets. Au, a homemaker who relocated from mainland China nine years ago, notes that her family pays approximately $460 monthly in rent, which constitutes about half of her husband’s irregular earnings from renovation work.
“I fear the rent will escalate to a point where we can no longer afford it,” Au expressed as she sat on the lower bunk of their bed, surrounded by clothing, a fan, and plastic storage boxes. Housing remains a crucial issue in Hong Kong, classified as one of the most unaffordable locations worldwide. The city is home to about 7.5 million people who are squeezed into a modest territory comprising steep hillsides. Only 7% of the city’s total land area, around 80 square kilometers (30 square miles), is designated for residential use. As per last December’s figures, the average cost of an apartment smaller than 40 square meters (430 square feet) varied between $13,800 and $16,800 per square meter, subject to the district.
Beijing, perceiving the housing crisis in the city as a potential catalyst for the 2019 anti-government protests, has urged that subdivided apartments be phased out by 2049. Additionally, the government is increasing the supply of public housing, with plans to deliver 189,000 flats over the next five years.
Despite this, around 220,000 residents, including migrants, workers, students, and young professionals, depend on these subdivided units for shelter. According to government reports, while many of these homes are near compliance with the new standards, roughly 33,000 of them will require significant renovations.
Under the proposed regulations, each unit must be at least eight square meters (approximately 86 square feet), a measure aimed at maintaining affordable housing options. Furthermore, every unit will need to have a window, a toilet designated for personal use, and a door to compartmentalize the toilet from the rest of the living area, among other requirements.
Landlords will be granted an initial grace period for renovations. However, failure to comply after this period could result in penalties including up to three years of imprisonment and a maximum fine of around $38,500.
Fafa Ching, a security guard who has experienced living in several subdivided apartments over the past decade, currently pays around $490 a month but lacks even a bathroom sink, which necessitates collecting water from the shower with a basin. Her living situation will require upgrades to fulfill the anticipated requirements for fire safety as well as distinct electricity and water meters. Ching expressed concern that any improvements could prove too expensive for her.
The government has indicated that should the need arise, they will assist affected tenants in locating alternative private accommodations or directly providing temporary housing. A high-ranking official assured the public broadcaster that transitional housing is ready, emphasizing that large-scale enforcement will not occur until adequate resettlement arrangements are in place.
Chan Siu-ming, a professor at the City University of Hong Kong specializing in social and behavioral sciences, endorsed the government’s initiative to introduce minimum standards but criticized the resettlement strategies as insufficient. He cautioned that the repercussions may extend beyond what officials anticipate, and the city’s offerings of public and transitional housing might fall short of actual demand. Additionally, he noted that low-income residents could struggle with moving costs.
As of last September, the typical waiting time for public housing reached five and a half years, with some individuals waiting even longer—Ching reported an eight-year wait. In response to inquiry, the government conveyed its belief that they do not foresee substantial rent increases, as demand would decline with a rise in public housing supply, reiterating that the phased implementation of the rules aims to prevent public panic.
Nevertheless, Chan warned that some individuals might find themselves relegated to even smaller dormitory-style “bed spaces,” which are not included in the proposed regulations. These bed spaces are often regarded as the poorest form of housing in Hong Kong—comprised of partitioned areas where residents barely fit a bed and some personal items. The government clarified that these units are regulated under other laws.
Sze Lai-shan, deputy director of the Society for Community Organization, a non-governmental organization, remarked that some residents are already being pressured to vacate subdivided apartments as landlords prepare for the impending policy changes. She suggested that the government take preliminary measures to register substandard flats prior to the implementation of the legislation, to better understand residents’ needs and possibly widen the eligibility for transitional housing. Sze also expressed the hope that the eventual policy could encompass those dwelling in minuscule bed spaces.
“It’s challenging to convey the notion that Hong Kong operates under two separate housing standards,” she articulated.
In Sham Shui Po, which stands as one of the city’s most impoverished districts, bed space resident Law Chung Yu expressed skepticism about landlords’ ability to meet the new regulations. Law, unable to work due to health issues and renting a bunk bed space for about $280 in monthly rent—approximately 30% of his government subsidies—shares a bathroom with others in an apartment infested with lice. He remarked, “It’s essentially a strategy that offers little real change.”
Au has never measured her living space and is uncertain if it complies with the proposed minimum size; however, with neighboring units likely falling short, she knows her home could also be in jeopardy. She hopes that the government will assist in relocating affected families to housing that maintains their current rent level.
Her landlord has yet to initiate any discussions regarding these issues. For now, Au can only take things one day at a time, stating, “It would be worse if I dwell on it too much and end up with mental health issues.”
