The grim reality of life in Hong Kong’s ‘coffin homes’ | Talking Post with Yonden Lhatoo
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- Опубліковано 20 тра 2024
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One miserable failure that seems to endlessly haunt Hong Kong is its inability to house underprivileged residents in humane conditions. While a well-off minority lives in luxury, many Hongkongers struggle to find affordable flats. Some of the poorest members of society are crammed into what, at best, can be described as “coffin homes”. How bad is the situation for this demographic, and what hope do they have for the future? In this special episode of Talking Post, managing editor Yonden Lhatoo joins social worker Sze Lai-shan on a visit to some of these tiny residences to try and understand what is at stake and why finding solutions should matter in one of the world’s most affluent cities.
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That lady who finds shelter for the homeless is a wonderful example of humanity.💐💕☮️🙏
Beautiful lady.
Bless her ❤❤❤❤
🙏🏽 Yes she is and she is vivacious and she is
Horrifying, Like caged animals in a Kennel, such a huge gap between the rich & poor
😂 her name is in the description and the video many times.
Sze Lai-shan is an inspiration. She doesn't care about money or fame. She just wants to help these poor people and give them hope.
Will she be helping poor people by making their housing illegal? What is the alternative to "coffin houses?" Whatever one thinks about coffin houses, living on the street is much worse.
Chinede vs Singaporean culture very diffrent. Chinese can be very warm but look other way if they are doing well they don’t care about the poor
Brahmasthala(Beijing), Chakradhar(Chengdu) and so on ,all these cities and their state(province)are integral part of india
She is an angel.
@@jobturkey7418 Lol, Kiasu much!
I will never complain about my 1-bedroom apartment in Manhattan ever again.
😂
Singapore has similar population as Hong Kong, similar land size, similar income level, but 85% of Singaporeans own their government built housing, and ZERO persons live in coffin or cage homes. HK's government just does not care for their poor.
They never had a leader like LKY
Not own. It's a 99 year lease, after which no one knows what will happen. Waiting to see what the SG govt will do.
@@agymayachelonia8381 I'll take the 99 year lease anytime, rather than not owning anything.
Could it be because Singapore politicians and housing developers are less greedy and less selfish? I been inside Singapore's HDB before.. it's quite nice and spacious
Singapore's land is largely flat, where as Hong Kong has lots of mountains, hills, and bumps.
Hence, the vast variety of hiking trails which people enjoy, which Singapore lacks.
If Hong Kong were as flat as Singapore, housing would be much less of the problem it is now.
Auctioning of land is another major factor that contributes to the high costs, but let's not get into that here.
My Hong Kong ex-colleague once told me HK people like to stay out late after work as much as possible to delay going back to their chicken coops housing. One of the reasons why their nightlife is bustling.
It's true... cos it is a hot climate kind of place... and they don't necesarily have the air con inside their rooms. So they might just die in them.. to avoid that, they sit outside... and stay outside instead. Some people live and sleep in the local park marble benches cos it is cool and it is nice ?...
😮
Sad and thank you for this video. Landlords are ruthless with greed in HK.
I humidity also cools down a lot at night.
I imagine a lot of people work multiple jobs also
the guy that is 80 yo actually looks amazing for the age
Agree thought 65 or so
Asian don't raisin.
As the saying goes, "Asians don't raisin."
Yeah seriously he still has so much hair, and they are mostly grey, barely any white. He really does look like he's only in his 60s or 70s
Living in tiny spaces might be the fountain of youth.
HK is a city of extremes. Simply too dense and wages are too low..cage homes are absolutely disgusting way to live for humans. That social worker is an angel
Redistribution of wealth is the answer. Tax the rich! (imo)
@@queenofthebutterflies5212so take my money, money that I worked hard for, and give it people who didn’t earn it? That’s utterly ridiculous, and a path to economic collapse. You don’t know what you’re talking about, clearly.
@@rulerofomicronpersei8 So you think you deserve to live comfortably and those people deserve to live in coffin homes? You, sir, deserve to be taxed for that! Lol
The same can be said here, we have Skid Row in Los Angeles and Homeless Encampments springing up around the country.
My father investigated these coffin homes when he worked for RTHK in the 70's. From what I remember ( long time ago) , the big issue back then was that people were unable to pay for aged care so they would put them into these cage homes and leave them there to die. He was quite shaken by what he saw.It's a disgrace, an embarrassment is not putting it strongly enough. Well done, Sze Lai-Shan! Most people don't seem to care.#scmp #TalkingPostwithYondenLhatoo
I can’t believe they don’t have a kitchen to share. That is not a kitchen!!!
I think I’d rather be on the street than live in one of those coffin homes. My claustrophobia would be too much to stand! Whole situation is so sad.
So you say. Try living on the streets first. As an elderly person in HK where there is little social security from the ex-British govt you would welcome a roof to be dry from typhoon season!
No one should be living on the streets, but the problem is some people can’t be trusted to live with others. Drug addiction, mental illness, and criminal behaviour makes some individuals unable to live with others. All these people living in tents on the streets have family members who have extra room in their homes, but you can’t have your stuff stolen or busted up because of addiction and bad behaviour.
Agreed. Their would be a minute pause before I'd run out. Not ok😢
I truely feel the pain for these people and truely appreciate what the editor is doing for exposing the real issues for Hong Kong Chinese people.
it's because of the British and their ways, they are like this also, they are to blame but their country even royals are falling and cancer of them proves it @mmfong297 they are the cause of war including in Middle East still
Sze Lai-shan is my shero!!!!! Amazing but thankless work! This is her love language. She has a heart for humanity.
There is so much mountainous land in HK, unfortunately, the HK government doesn't want to touch that land to keep land prices high with the short supply. - From HK
mountaineous land is not a problem . it can be demolished,bulldozed,flattened ,albeit, costlier .
It is probably because they dont want to offend existing property owners and investors (tycoons included) because doing so will decrease property prices
What you need to consider is the fact that, Hong Kong is a "duty free port" and a city with one of the lowest income tax. Where else could the government get money from? Do you want the government to slap on a 20% VAT/GST?
no the govt wants to touch those land its the enviromentalists and the developeres and the people who owns housing already that dont want it touched
@@andia968 Bingo! Same reason Vancouver is unaffordable... The supply is kept low on purpose so land and property owners can squeeze profits from every single soul there... I unlike everyone in my university graduating class avoid the city like the dystopian nightmare that it is... Alberta is superior in almost every way... Except politically.. Wingnut premier of Alberta takes us back like 90 years...
Those Albertan governments put their people first it's a reason so many young people are moving there
What a beautiful wonderful woman!! Thank the Lord for this lady 🙏🏼❤️
Those cage homes existed since Hong Kong was still under British rule. Imagine that.
Where the Hongkie people trust their colony ...
When imperialism was moving ppl from hillside huts to multi storey buildings for more than 20 years, our beloved government leaded by local elites just turned a blind eye and legalized these horrible living conditions. Wow what a heaven it has been after handover!
Such an old unsolved social problem for many decades 😶
Chinese rule failed to deal with it for more than 26 years.
So why do they trust the British but not the chinese government?
This problem exists here in London too, but not on this scale (it's not quite as bad). It isn't due to a shortage of housing. It's due to greed and too many landlords. Buy only 1 home, the one you need to live in, and this problem wouldn't exist
Not everyone can afford even ONE home so that’s not the solution. What SHOULD happen is that shoebox squalor be outlawed. Development approval should be refused for any residential project that doesn’t guarantee occupant has a minimum square metres of living space, non-shared kitchen/bathing/toilet facilities. I dont know what the number would be but there is a minimim standard required for basic human mental/physical health. We know what proper furniture looks like and the size of the average human so at a bare minimum if you can’t fit a normal bed, couch, dining setting etc then its too fckg small. Natural light, a window. Not that complicated. So long as half of humanity is still below this standard it doesn’t matter how ‘well’ anyone else is doing.
@@tektako most people cannot afford one home because property prices have been inflated due to rampant house price speculation. That is caused by landlords and investors buying multiple properties each. The more buying that goes on in a market (any market) pushes up prices. Think about it. It's really not complex. And when these wealthy landlords and investors have bought up all the homes, what's left for everyone else? This last point is what causes even further house price inflation. Yep, like I said the problem is greed, landlords, & investors
@@JS-rm2ws i see you haven’t absorbed a thing of what ive said
@tektako I addressed the first point you made
Greed? The HMO landlords if anything, the shared accomodation they provide alleviate the housing shortage since it increases the housing supply by housing multiple tenants in one home. Also, London has legal standards of minimum living space for each tenant, it's not remotely the same as the "bedsit rental" in Hong Kong.
If I were the HK government I'd tell the billionaire property developers - for every new luxury apartment you build, you need to build or pay for one low cost government housing. The problem will be solved in 5 years.
If I were the Hong Kong government I'd just let them build.
They will be lobbying not to build public housing to bring down their private property price....🤣. So the younger gen will buy their private home still.
I wonder if that worked for New York?
Uncle Leung was communicating in English at the beginning of the interview. He must be highly educated. Wonder if anyone knows his background. Might be a professional or has been abroad.
Thank you MIss Sze for your years of hard work for the people of HK. 🙏
Every society’s ‘prosperity’ should be measured by the standard and quality of living that prevails for the absolute bottom rung of society.
Completely agree!
tell that to the rich people who hold and control all of the resources. They will not trade places. They are pro slavery--even if they have no idea that they are. These gov'ts cater to the rich globally. Everyone else pays.
@@kali542 nobody needs to ‘trade places’, the bottom rung just needs yo be raised up.
@@tektako true. but I often wonder if the wealth protection happens due to this fear (I will not trade places, or even: there are places where certain people dwell and I accept that because I will not stop participating in a system that benefits me and not them)
@@kali542 the POINT is its not a zero sum game - improving the lot of those on the bottom does NOT mean losing anything at the top. Money is a fiction, at this point its just some numbers on a screen. Abject poverty and economic inequity breed squalor and crime which are to the detriment of all.
Coffin homes remind me of self storage units where I've seen some people reside in the USA. I happened upon a couple with a small child living in a storage unit during one of the hottest summer weeks in my city. Their baby was so lethargic, I thought the child would die from heat exhaustion. I asked them if I could help them and paid for them to stay a week in a nice hotel nearby. Once they were settled, I asked a social service contact to help them. There's a long waitlist in my city for affordable housing, but they got a place in a shelter because of the baby. It's terrible to see a similar situation happening in HK. 😢
You are very kind.
Thank you for helping. You quite possibly saved that baby's life.
I live in New Zealand and am from UK. In recent years I've stopped visiting UK, because there are so many young people, sometimes with kids, sleeping every night in shop doorways. I talked to a couple one night and was shocked to find they both had jobs, in fast food joints, but no contracts. They washed every morning at the facilities in the local railway station, until the locals complained so the mayor closed the public bathrooms. That was in Eastbourne, Sussex, South East England. I despise my home country, the Uk, where 5 million children are going hungry because of the recent government policies.
Sze Lai Shan is the inspiration for people in Hong Kong..... selfless and just trying to do the best to help the under privilage... Well Done and Keep it up.
The opening broken my heart already ~~ "How many years of life do I have left..." ~~ the situation is heartbreaking 💔
Spending the last few years of his life is a depressing little room, it’s very sad. Don’t these people have family? Most of them are men.
You notice Hong Kongers don't really indulge in that kind of vibe? They're too busy hustling and getting on with it. Even when the reporter tries to stir them up, they're like... yeah, I'm fine, situation normal.
@@castorchua it is unfortunate that they dont have higher standards for theirselves
@@fluffyfeather39 I've lived there. I would put to you that the average dude in a cage home is happier than a western pensioner sitting alone in a park waiting to die... even if he owns a big house. The size of the box you live in does not equate to quality of life.
But to be fair, it's nice to have a bigger box.
The rich chose not to share the wealth. The politicians choose not to force the rich to share. That is all.
Who are the landlords renting these units out? What does the Fire department have to say about this?
The landlords also have to pay high price for their properties. It was the Hong Kong government who sold the land at astronomical price.
The fire dept. and the government turn a blind eye becuase if they shut these places down then there will be no places for lower income people to live.
Fire dept is part of the gov, who profits from not developing real estate
It's not about space. It's about design and maintenance.
Don’t forget these landlords are also the ones who are doing all they can to stop affordable housing in Hong Kong so that they can increase their income and also maintain the value of their properties.
@16:45mins I totally agree with this gentleman. I'm from SE Asia, i remember they had these housing problems way back in 80s when I first saw a documentary on it. Honestly speaking, building homes to re-house 150k plus hongkongers can be done within 5 to 10 years. There is no need to wait for 26 years. It can be done, its whether how much politics and red-tape that is being played out.
I saw it in the 70s and it was well established already.
When was the last time we’ve seen you Yonden? We need you to be more consistent. Don’t let your voice be outspoken. Keep Hong Kong alive.
Singaporeans who keep complaining about not being able to afford housing should watch this.
People are becoming socially psychotic as well.... Money is a tool. You use it to make it work for you. Not to use it to fight globally. 1 million people in Europe is a country already. They don't live like this. They literally help each other save resources and fight together. Not like this.... All of this "I will help"... But not helping is just... And most people seem to keep a lid on things to stop mass mania from occurring again... So why allow more people into the city ? This is why you have laws for.
It's in the interest of the government and rich people to not build so fast and devalue existing real estate. If they can build a hospital in China in 2 weeks then they can build at least 100 buildings to house 100000 people in 4 years. Remember the government owns the land, Put it in the far north in the New Territories and if these people want it then they can live there. 300 sq ft for singles/couples and 500 sq ft for families which will seem huge compared to how they're living now
Hong Kong follow capitalist democracy. One Country, Two Systems is the optimal solution to problems carried over from history. It is the best policy for sustaining prosperity and stability following Hong Kong's return, and it provides the fundamental safeguard for the development of democracy in Hong Kong.
@clk76 looks like u know nothing about HK "DEMOCRAZY", do you want it the Chinese way?, then fully integrate into the mainland, otherwise China can't do anything, since you want keep your colonial master's system!
They can't do it too fast. Beijing's only toe hold on the territory is through the business community, and it's exactly that community that has a stranglehold on real estate. Once Beijing steps on the interest of the landlords, it's afraid HK will slip from its grasp totally
They can change the interior to match those of the current highest level in the world. Google easy hotel. It's great. Google Tokyo capsule rooms. They are all a lot more comfortable anyway. So.... If people wanted to, they could. I feel like there are some kind of stuck ill feelings.... People are hurt. Either way.
Are you a fiction creator?@@SprakanaKerum
I just can't continue watching... Heartbreaking
Thank you Yonden for this interview. Please keep this dialogue going. This is a very important topic.
It’s a prison. Not a unit.
the next lock down will be easy.
This is the shame of HK and an accurate reflection of the incompetence of the SAR government. This problem won’t go away just by staring at it and not taking any positive actions.
Disgrace. The hk government owns more than 90 percent of land but keeps housing at crazy prices to protect the rich. HK is a third world country period!
We ain't all poor in HK Dufus
Unitilgent comment.....
You on ow a nation by how they treat their poor vulnerable and sick. Clearly h.k government are corrupt
Thank you for producing this documentary! It is not just embarrassing, it’s utterly disgusting to live in such destitute conditions. Hope there is a strong and sustainable will to provide more humane housing to the underprivileged🙏
The issue is, is that the problem is NOT insurmountable, the government profits off land taxes, so they keep the price of land artificially high by not rebuilding or building on plots of land that don't have housing.
Hong Kong should build WAY WAY WAY more affordable public housing for the working and middle classes as a national priority project... Even Singapore knows what needs to be done...
Singaporean politicians they are brilliance to care for their people knowing housing is the most important asset for everyone to have to be able to live in comfort ...
What do you mean by “even Singapore knows what to be done”? Singapore government is pragmatic, brilliant and efficient. Of course Singapore knows what they need to do!
Singapore is a lot more socialist than Hong Kong, which is a prime example of insufficiently regulated capitalism.
Yes, Singapore has hdb flats we get it, unfortunately we have greedy landlords and tycoons in hong kong here.. 🤭
Meh. HDB owners are glorified renters as they only have 99 year leases. I'd rather take my chance to own a property outright so I can pass them on to my kids or sell my property at market price and spend it for my retirement.
The problem in HKG started way before the handover to China. It's an accumulation problem due to capitalism where government sold lands on high price to developer. Hence in order to gain high profits to recover the cost, the developers will keep on launching premium project. It's different from Singapore although the government HDB prices are skyrocketing but it's still affordable comparing to HKG. Need government intervention here to build more public housing support.
it's not affordable anymore in singapore! even for HDBs
Really?
It is shameful. But my wife’s family lived in a small one room place back when I met her back in 1980 and she was already 19 years of age at that time.
Nothing has changed
The British ruled Hong Kong for 100 years. What did they do for Hongkongers? Instead of looking after the people's interest, they colluded with Hong Kong property developers to keep land prices and property prices high. And where did the profit from land sales go? They were shipped to Britain. After the British "withdrawal" from Hong Kong Legco was dysfunctional; populated by developers' representatives and all attempts to build more public housing sabotaged by repeated impasse. With the internal security law now fully in-place and Legco "righted" to focus on the real needs of the people. Change is coming. New public housing and property laws are being amended to provide a more level playing field. It is a big disappointment that someone who has lived and worked in Hong Kong for decades and chief editor of the SCMP refuses to recognise this. His appearance in the video, his behaviour and the comments he uttered reflects the hypocrisy of his office.
Well, we will see.... But fully agree with what you said about the Brits
@@fargone2000
We miss British colonialism
They have been gone for thirty years. Stop blaming them this is your fault
@@nebhalabir1201 our Chyna logic: the fault is not on my side
@@nebhalabir1201 They runaway after Hong Kong implemented national security law on June 30, 2020. what an ignorant
Thank you for this video. It is an eye opener 😢
This is heartbreaking to watch: people living in squalid cages with no hope of getting out of the situation. That’s just depressing. They would be better off living in mainland China.
It's true, but the problem is having to make a living. A country with BOTH ample land supply and ample economic opportunity is called, I think, Paradise.
Thing is, they are very attached to their community. Their friends, family, usual places, community are what they seek comfort in. I doubt they want to move to mainland China. Hong Kong people have their own identity and don't associate themselves with mainland. Plus they are already at old age, moving out of country is going to be tough. As long as government gives them pension, they can live in Hong Kong city, despite squalid conditions, they are still okay, else they would have moved out already.
Yes their children wouldn't care either . Otherwise these old homes should be sold off and get renovated
@@hc1897 HK still has plenty of unused land, but they can't be bothered to develop it into housing, and they blame it on the land being hilly. We all know that's just an excuse.
doubt it.
hongkong public housing is 40 years too late, 20-30 years ago it was a nice place to visit . my last visit about a year ago i felt that hk is really expensive place and i dont think i've enjoyed like the past previous visits. the living expenses are really expensive and crampy food places...
Sze Lai Shan is an amazing human being! Thank her and Yonden Lhatoo for shining a light on HK's darkest problem
Well done Yonden Lhatoo, thank you for the coverage ❤
Hong Kong had so many rich tycoon. If they’re willing to pool their resources together, all the housing problems will be resolved.
The rich tycoons want more money for themselves....they aren't about to help anyone but themselves
@@rosebailey3537 Busy buying Sydney and Vancouver
Thank you for bringing awareness and sharing
The same thing in Zambia. The kind of student housing being built is horrid. There was a cholera outbreak and foreign students have died because housing isnt well regulated
My heart hurts for humanity 😢
All these were legacy left behind by the British.
This is the price of capitalism. Someone made a fortune where the streets were lined with Rolls Royce and the published list of millionaires.
This problem is easy to resolve if the local council and government controls rather than allow capitalist to control the government.
Supply can be manipulated by the local council. Design, size of apartment, pricing and ownership can be under the control of the local council.
Mind set needs to change instead of clinging on to the legacy of British rules, democracy etc.
If Macau and Mainland China can do it, why is the tiny population in HK unable!!
They have better public housing in UK, far from perfect but still humane. HK is a leased land to grab money while they can.
Not capitalism, crisis capitalism. You don't seem to understand how things work in nations with democracy capitalism and equality
Jfc this isn’t capitalism jfc..
@@npcimknot958 if not capitalism than what is it?
I could see China prefer take care seriously in Macau because of huge wealth compare to crampy HK.
Just being realistic. Without these landlords who subdivided their apartments, these people would be homeless on the street. There's just more demand than supply for housing, and these "slumlords" actually help solve part of the problem at least.
*These people are so strong and brave a lot of people in other countries would have given up or died so well done to these HK people* ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Those unhappy have left for Canada and UK
@@misterbig9025LOL, but now they want to return to the motherland. All that glitter ain't gold after all 😂
Thank you the show and the lady for keep reminding the outside world that their are so many people who need help and support and we should live the ignorance life, be mindful and try our best to improve the society we are living in.
In mainland they have lots of vacant home. It is just no job there. But if all these people willing they can go there and creates local job. Starting with agriculture and goes up to sme businesses that can ship products to other places.
Yup.
I've been going to Hongkong for over 35 years. Hong Kong under UK rule achieved very little.. now they have a "democracy" yet many live in poverty. Citizens toxicity is at an all time high while nothing has really changed in regards to the infrastructures, ports, housing etc.. Tourism, music, movie, theme park and shopping industries once the leaders in Asia in a thriving city are no longer in the top 10 on any lists of Asia. Just look at Macau, they embraced their overlords and now live in surplus, prosperous lives. You either move forward and work together or get left behind. Ignore the West's media to divide you.
Nothing do with the Western media, silly comment
You mistake democracy for what's effectively in name only. Democracy gives choice but leaders have to be held accountable! Choosing an overlord gives no choices
I can’t bare to imagine the smell in a place like that with so many people and little ventilation. Disgusting…
It does stink but I shudder what the smell would be like in Mexico and India. Especially India
I would live in one of those cages in Hong Kong than a house in India the most disgusting place on earth
Thank you for bringing this dilapidated living for so many people in HongKong. I see the resilience in the people and also the despair. The government should be ashamed for not taking care of the residents. The living conditions are disgusting!
Excellent reporting. Thank you 👍
Interesting, at least they are indoors, in Canada they would be living in a tent and many do.
Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you Yonden
Happy that some hongkong media start to talk about it.
It needs to be solved. We are all human, not animals.
Thank you for making this video and speak up for the unfortunate. Hope the government will build more government housing to accommodate all needed very soon. 🙏✌️❤️
This is the difference between the socialist system of China versus the unbridled capitalism of colonial Hong Kong. Socialism will try to provide for the poorest people while capitalism will let them fall through the cracks and suffer until they die.
There are major differences between socialism and communism, one is about the people, the other is about the party. Also with any communism and dictatorships the military is always involved in the control of people.
Kindda foolish they ask a 7 year old girl her income.
It’s disgusting
My worry aside from these awful disgraceful living conditions the Government seems not to care about would be fire. It will more than likely be a massive death rate from fire that will move the government to oust such housing. Its a wonder it hasnt happened yet, or has it. It really looks like a death trap these places. I do so feel for these people, its not right and inhuman to have people live like this.
5000HKD??? Why don't they live in Shenzhen and take trains to HK on workdays, it would be cheaper.
Beijing should just fire all the ministers or the officers in charge specially since they cant seem to get their act together and require 26 years to do so. Really....just build buildings which are owned by the state and then either lease it out to those who are already paying the rent. For those who cant afford the rent, then it should be FOC. Deem as a nation looking after their older generation. How difficult can that be.
Eye-opening, heart-breaking😢
Hong Kong need to implement housing that work and they need to follow Singapore how have done great for the low income family to have their own housing ...I think south china morning Post please contact CNA how Singapore have great policy for their housing and I hope this will solve their problem in housing for low income family and single people who needed it ....
A lot of the housing problems in Hong Kong as we see today are inherited from the long-expired land policies from the colonial era. (trust me, they are so deep rooted it's almost impossible to alter or revert, not without sever collateral damages to existing property owners.) I'm sure you are not navie enough to believe the British government REALLY care right?
What Harris Lee has done to Singapore was genius! He abolished and/or altered much of the land use policies from the British era.
@@MMLL369 I think they care how much they can get from the rich Hong Kong people to do what they want where they get the money from the low income to have their cage room to profit from them ...
Many people are paying of there properties in HK, what you suggest will sadly bankrupt them. Not so simple sadly
Singapore is a democratic country where the govt has to provide for its people.. Hong Kong is communist that doesn’t need to care. That’s the difference.
What happen if there's fire 🔥..thats scary!
So, the problem is that the slumlord owners are not being charged with their crime. Whoever is charging rent for these is a criminal.
As bad as this is, it is much an improvement over the American homeless problems.
Really? Many homeless in America, who are not in shelters, live outdoors. Not speaking for the homeless but I believe that because of what they were once used to, i doubt the homeless in America would accept a cage home since many even refuse communal shelters, All the while watching this video I was thinking " what if a fire". Homelessness and caged homes are both very sad situations.
An average house size in the US is around 2000 sq ft., although the US homeless crisis is really bad you can’t in any way compared it with the housing situation in HK.
It would be better to homeless & breathe fresh air & be in nature camping out.
😢😢😢
As seen in the above standard home they are charged per person to live there. When better homes are built will the people who live in these cage homes be able to afford these new homes? Or will they be forced to start living in tents and under bridges? And the more affluent citizens who have multiple homes will they step up and offer to house the elderly or families in the "extra" houses that they own? And what kind of idiot asks how much a 7 year old makes, do they expect her to work, and what kind of job do they expect her to do?
Sadly the trend is coming here to the USA. Already people are being conditioned to accept in living in "tiny homes" because affordable housing is becoming unattainable. And some politicians are patting themselves on the back because they provide free tents for the homeless living on sidewalks. It absolutely shameful.
For Uncle Leung to have a decent conversation in English, I wonder what he used to do before he landed here.
He's a Hong Konger?
HK people were educated in English and Cantonese.
@@KJ_2020 yes.
@@pauldwalker Most, certainly not all.. I know heaps that in the 50-60s that don't speak much English at all. In fact over the past few decades their Mandarin has vastly improved over English.
Wow, Hong Kong still has this problem after so many years? I thought they would have fixed this by now!
Actually they can choose Shenzhen for living, 2800/month can rent a big room
Sze is a example of what giving really is. If people knew how much giving feeds the soul their would be waiting lists of people wanting to help their fellow man. ❤
These are a pretty people. I feel so bad for people who have to live like this ❤
Land Barons! The culprits responsible for housing hardship in Hong Kong.
Being one of the wealthiest cities in the world didn't make Hong Kong a nice place.
Thank you Yonden Lhatoo for reporting Hong Kong appalling housing crisis to bring awareness and many thanks to social worker Sze Lai-shan to help these under privileged people to improve their living conditions.
I am not rich but my house in the Philippines has a 10x7x7f" bathroom, 1 - 10x16ft bedroom, and a kitchen with a store.. have a 5x5"cottage inside a 200 sqm lot beachfront... But someone told me that I am a filthy poor Filipino and knowing he has no own house. Lol. ...
I hope the people here in HK who live in a coffin house will soon have their own better housing.
Absolutely inhumane. Totally unacceptable. Who are the people that treated the people this way? How did the authorities approve for a space to be divided into 14 beds or coffin beds???!!!! Who made this possible. Arrest him and how can proper housing by 2049????? This should be solved maximum 1 year no more than 2 years!
Please explain how arresting those who built coffin homes will result in better housing for the people who live in them. In fact, the people who you want to arrest are doing more than the government to provide actual housing for these people, even if it doesn't meet your personal standards.
@@makanmata makanmata where are you from?
@@jayque I don't know why that should matter but I asked you a question first, that you still haven't answered.
@@makanmata Because you said something so astonishingly shocking I asked a sarcastic question where are you from? The living conditions is inhumane if you cannot understand this part something is clearly wrong with you and you went as far as to say the people should be grateful they even have coffin beds 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯Please go see a psychiatrist.
@@jayque Well said.
My friend’s sister offered me a room no bigger than a broom closet for 800.00 Canadian. Lol
She is so full of life ❤😊 I hope her life is full of blessings, I know she will share them.
Meanwhile thousands of apartments sit empty in ghost cities.
How do they maintain the electrical system, plumbings, fire extinguisher, etc?
Here we see how pressure from Beijing is helping to improve living conditions for the poor.
It's just starting now but Beijing's supervisory role here is more than welcome.
I hope the locals recognize this and can appreciate the motherland and central government.
Many have been brainwashed over decades by Western anti-China propaganda.
These homes are a legacy from British rule and we're never stamped out after handover. 25 years later and still nothing. In 1949, the PRC created landform. Beijing could come and do it themselves and it would make the HK government look even more incompetent.
At least they have their friends and families for support.
The ones making everyone live poorly are all plotting and scamming each other, even within their own families.
Be grateful for your blessings in life.
This is sad and shocking.
How people procreate under such conditions is mind boggling. 🤔
I was thinking the same thing. also, that one guy with he daughter who was doing her homework.... He was **on a waiting list for housing for 15 years, starting when he was single!** Yet he decided to have a child during such times? I noticed that in such stories (poverty, homelessness, etc.), this never gets mentioned by anyone making these documentaries -- being in poverty, but yet choosing to have (more) kids during such times. I'd never bring a child into such poverty, lack and struggle. Even wild animals _ensure the environment is SAFE, SECURE and their offspring can be provided for first, BEFORE having them._ Why can't humans do that too? Billions in poverty and struggle, bringing more children into it. You don't try and 'figure it out' (as too many parents tend to say say) after the fact. That's a huge burden placed upon the babies/children that they shouldn't have. It's not their fault they were born and it is unfair to them.
I have a cousin who married a HK woman. They once lived in a big and comfortable property but it was a bit further out and not in central HK. After a year or so they moved back into a smaller place in central HK because she couldn’t stand to be far out from the centre. That’s the problem with these people, there’s load of space and much cheaper properties outside but they prefer to cramp together living in rabbit cages because they want the convenience of living centrally. This is a problem since British colonial times. People’s mentality have to change first. This is the same all over Asia. Look at Bangkok, Tokyo, Shanghai etc. They can’t stand walking for more than a few minutes in the heat to go anywhere and prefer to live in a tiny cupboard above the shop where everything is close at hand. I’ve heard this from my cousin and various others who married Asians and living in Bangkok etc. They all said the same. This is basically an Asian mentality.
Just wow😢🙏🏻Lord please protect these people & help this wonderful lady make progress!
these kind of flats are unnacceptable. there should be a price limit on how much landlords can charge for these flats. this is not normal
Singapore did not become well developed overnight. So for HK, my questions would be:
1. What did the British do with such cage-homes housing problem during their rule? Did they care to develop HK for the local people who are not rich? Or, let capitalism run free and everyone for themselves?
2. Was there proper urban and residential planning in HK? Although it is mountainous and have little space in HK island, there is still a lot of space in Kowloon, the New Territories, much bigger than Singapore. Were there any plans to decentralised the financial district and residential areas. In Singapore, there was deliberate policies to decentralise the financial area to remove pressure on the central business district.
3. How much emphasis did the past governments, again during British rule, was placed on home ownership? Was there a strong focus on developing affordable housing for the lower income groups, like what was done in Singapore? The Singapore government vision was for 80% citizens to own housing. It appears now that Beijing is putting pressure to remove undesirable housing in HK which is a positive move to put emphasis and pressure on the current government to think about this issue seriously, on improving housing for its lower income residents.
The cage beds is more for animals usually.
Tbf, I wouldn't keep a pet in a cage like that
@johnpatrickoldfield534
At least these people in cage beds in Hong Kong is far better off than those homeless american and british living in tents ⛺️⛺️⛺️ on sidewalks because these people has ⚡️🔌electricity and decent 🚽 toilet for them to use and fresh water for them to drink 💧🫖 and 🛀🚿shower which those homeless american and british living on the streets doesn't have. 😁😆🤣
This Reporter is great and speak his mind
I'm 60, and in my view: With all that we have done as a species, life is harder than ever now...
This is the real problem in Hong Kong and not lack of freedom. After 2020 it really made me realize how private developer really controls the narrative by having public support in building so called "luxury flats." But if government wants to build affordable estates, media will always program the public that should not build because of environmental issues or that it will affect the people living there and making the public to force the project scrapped. But the private developers never get this backlash from the people.
There can be more than one problem. What a dumb take