Hong Kong is dealing with many and varied problems. It has, for example, a puzzle with the sexual education of its young people, one that can be summarized in one word: badminton. Others are economic, such as the fact that a fortune was spent to become a tourism capital in Asia and it lacks tourists. However, there is one that is above all, and the government wants to put a stop to it: improve living conditions by prohibiting coexistence in “zulos”. The problem is where you put so many people.
Subdivided homes. To understand the step taken by the government we must talk about this type of “houses” of extremely small size, created by dividing apartments or larger spaces into multiple smaller units. These spaces, which can vary between a few square meters, are rented to low-income families or people who cannot access conventional housing due to the high rental costs in the city.
These types of subdivisions are usually found in older buildings in densely populated and working-class neighborhoods, where owners divide apartments to rent them to more people and thus maximize their income. Although these spaces are used as homes, their conditions are usually very precarious, with ventilation problems, insufficient natural light and inadequate hygiene conditions. In fact, in some cases, kitchens and bathrooms are integrated into a single space or even shared between several units.
This can’t be. Around 220,000 people live in these conditions described above, a product of speculation and economic inequality. Hence the new proposal from Hong Kong leader John Lee: establish minimum standards of space and conditions, to be more exact, that people must live together in an area of at least 8 square meters, and whose bathrooms and kitchens are separate and , if possible, with windows.
Bottom line: eliminate this type of houses by 2049 (because the government thinks that the housing problem is behind the riots like the one in 2019). This, paradoxically, creates another problem.
When your house doesn’t reach the minimum. The New York Times told several stories such as that of Liu Lanhua, a mother who lives with her daughter in a 7 square meter space where the kitchen is also the bathroom. For her and 30% of those who live in these “homes”, the new measure represents a risk. Liu’s house would not meet the new requirements, and remodeling it would be expensive and impossible.
In addition, there is an old fear of real estate speculation: that the new rule will raise rents and cause the eviction of tenants without guaranteeing them relocation options. For their part, as we say, Beijing politicians see it through another prism, changes as a way to address the housing shortage.
An unsolved problem. And it could be much worse, although it certainly seems difficult. Apparently, the plan does not contemplate those who live in the so-called “coffin houses” or “cages” of wire or wood, even more precarious spaces. In a meeting with the Kwun Tong Subdivided Home Concern Group, residents raised concerns about whether there would be subsidies for those who cannot afford higher rents or whether they would be given some sort of priority on public housing lists. Moon Tang, a mother of three, told the NYT that residents’ finances are not increasing at the same rate as standards.
The government indicated that the implementation would be gradual and that help would be offered when necessary, but that is as far as the message has gone, not a single figure out loud. However, many experts warn that the new rules could make housing even less affordable, and consider it crucial to increase subsidies to support those who would be disadvantaged by these changes.
And the last: the oldest. It is the last leg of an increasingly serious problem. For example, the case of Ben Shek, a retired technician who lives in a 7-square-meter house and shares a bathroom with two other families, a story that exemplifies the difficulties that many older people would face if the new regulations forced them to move. For Shek, after a stroke, his mobility is limited and he values the convenience of his current location, which he describes as “vital.” For the elderly, moving is simply not feasible.
In short, the breeding ground in Hong Kong has many of the ingredients that plague so many large cities with the problem of housing, rent and the speculation they face. The proposal for new regulations in Hong Kong attempts to improve living conditions, but it has a major challenge ahead: achieving it without aggravating the housing accessibility crisis for the most disadvantaged population.
Imagen | Little Radu
In WorldOfSoftware | Hong Kong spent a fortune to become a luxurious tourism capital in Asia. Now the only thing missing is the tourists
In WorldOfSoftware | Hong Kong has a problem with the sexual education of its young people, one that can be summed up in one word: badminton
