Thousands in Hong Kong Still Live in Coffin Homes Due to Lack of Space: Watch

Hong Kong is among the world's most prosperous areas, but it’s also a tiny coastal region struggling to cope with the influx of people wanting to relocate to this economic superpower. Housing over seven million residents in an area of 1,106 km² is a challenge that requires extraordinarily inventive solutions. 

Summarized Insights:

• Extreme housing conditions persist.

• Luxury homes highlight wealth disparity.

• Innovative solutions offer some hope.

• Affordable housing remains urgent need.

While luxury micro-apartments and co-housing initiatives are some of the solutions, the city’s poorest reside in tiny coffin and cage homes. 

According to 2023 research by Mercer, Hong Kong remains the most expensive city in the world to live in.

Despite a drop in property prices due to severe COVID restrictions, the average price of a home in Hong Kong was still more than HK$7.69 million (US$981k/£780k) by the end of 2022. 

This shortage of housing and the huge demand for properties mean ordinary citizens can't even dream of getting on the property ladder. 

This has led to creative, albeit cramped, living solutions for many residents.

One ambitious project aimed at alleviating the housing crisis is Lantau Tomorrow Vision, which plans to create a 2,500-acre artificial island to add up to 260,000 flats. 

However, this project, estimated to cost around HK$624 billion (US$79bn/£71bn), is scheduled to begin in 2026, leaving current residents in dire straits.

While there are ultra-luxury homes available for the super-rich, small apartments are becoming unaffordable for ordinary people. 

The median income in Hong Kong is HK$9,166 ($1.2k/£930) per month, which is insufficient in such an oversubscribed city. 

In contrast, record-breaking prices for luxury apartments highlight the disparity, with units selling for exorbitant amounts per square foot.

For many, the living conditions are stark. High-rise homes are common but often cramped and overcrowded, with landlords taking advantage of the high demand. 

Even regular apartments are generally very small, particularly in central areas, leading to creative but cramped living solutions.

The most extreme end of the housing crisis in Hong Kong is seen in the "coffin" homes. 

These subdivided apartments offer very little room to move, with residents unable to fully stretch out their legs. 

It’s estimated that around 200,000 people live in such conditions. 

These claustrophobic cubicles can cost renters a few hundred dollars a month, a steep price for such minimal space.

The Society for Community Organization (SoCO) has worked to highlight these issues through photography projects, capturing the shocking living conditions in the city. 

From 2012 to 2015, photographer Benny Lam documented these "coffin" homes, where a 400-square-foot flat can be subdivided to accommodate nearly 20 bed spaces. 

The shared kitchen and toilet units are similarly small, often leading to unsanitary and unsafe conditions.

During the coronavirus pandemic, these cramped living conditions made it nearly impossible for residents to self-isolate, exacerbating the spread of the virus. 

Despite some measures to increase social housing and control rents, the problem persists, with more affordable accommodation desperately needed.

Even more dire are the "cage" homes, where the city's poorest residents sleep in tiny wire cages. 

As new luxury developments increase, the supply of older, cheaper housing dwindles. 

These cage homes, sometimes smaller than a prison cell, are a grim testament to the city's housing crisis.

Co-living spaces have emerged as a popular alternative, offering shared living arrangements to ease financial burdens. 

Developments like Bibliotheque and Mini Ocean Park provide communal living spaces for students, travelers, and young professionals, with amenities like regular cleaning and social activities. 

However, these options, while more affordable than traditional housing, are still out of reach for many.

A bedspace apartment, also called cage home (籠屋), coffin cubicle, or coffin home (棺材房), is a type of residence that is only large enough for one bunk bed surrounded by a metal cage.

This is one in Hong Kong.pic.twitter.com/UXeYFGBCVF

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) May 26, 2024

Inventive solutions like the Opod Tube House, created by architect James Law, offer low-cost starter homes within disused concrete water pipes. 

These units provide basic amenities within a compact space and aim to help young residents save money. 

While still in development, such innovative solutions highlight the ongoing search for viable housing in Hong Kong.

In summary, the housing crisis in Hong Kong has led to extreme living conditions for many residents, from coffin homes to cage homes. 

Despite the city's wealth and ambitious projects to increase housing, the need for affordable and humane living spaces remains urgent.