Hong Kong's housing problem is long-standing, and as the government accelerates the reduction of substandard "subdivided flats", many low-income families face urgent challenges in finding a place to live.

In Hong Kong, low-income families often live in small compartments called "subdivided flats", which are considered one of the most crowded living conditions in the world. The reality faced by residents like Ms. Liu is particularly difficult. She and her 12-year-old daughter live in a small unit of only a few square meters, with overlapping kitchen, bathroom and bedroom spaces, and even basic privacy and hygiene conditions are difficult to guarantee.

In the past few decades, "subdivided flats" have become one of the main choices for low-income families due to their relatively low rents. As one of the cities with the highest housing prices in the world, Hong Kong's housing shortage and high prices make it difficult for low-income families to afford compliant living space. Hong Kong Chief Executive Li Jiachao's latest policy introduces a minimum living area standard, requiring each household to have at least 8 square meters and equipped with a separate kitchen and bathroom. The policy is expected to face rectification or elimination of more than 30,000 subdivided flats.

Where will the poor who are forced to move go?

Ms. Liu's home has been identified as substandard. Her subdivided flat is about 7.5 square meters in size and costs $500 a month in rent, which accounts for a quarter of her family's income. Due to the unique structure of the subdivided flat, she can only set up a bathroom near the refrigerator. The small kitchen, bathroom and living space are closely connected, which greatly affects hygiene and quality of life. However, despite the poor environment, she does not have many choices, because the supply of public housing in Hong Kong is very limited, and she has waited for six years and still has no chance to move into a better living space.

As the Hong Kong government plans to gradually increase the minimum living standards of subdivided flats, housing pressures for many low-income families have increased sharply. Experts are worried that rents are likely to rise further, pushing more people into worse housing conditions and even leading to an increase in homelessness. Social organizations and public housing advocates have said that although the government's plan intends to improve the living environment, it does not provide enough transition solutions, which may put more pressure on already burdened families.

Slums and "slum landlords"

Hong Kong's subdivided flats are mainly concentrated in low-income communities such as Kwun Tong and Sham Shui Po, where a large number of working-class people live. Many owners divide their apartments into multiple small units for rent, making higher profits. Due to the high demand for subdivided flats, the rent is often higher than the rent per square meter of regular housing. This practice is regarded as a "slum phenomenon" and subdivided flat landlords are called "slum landlords."

The Kwun Tong area is one of the most densely populated areas in Hong Kong, and many residents here are accustomed to the high rent of subdivided flats. Ms. Liu has settled here for six years. She said that although the room is small, life is convenient, and her daughter's school, vegetable market and other basic living facilities are nearby. However, her housing conditions are still far from meeting the standards. Hong Kong's Housing Bureau estimates that 30% of the city's subdivided flats cannot meet the standards of the new policy.

The government's new housing policy and the future living picture

According to the Hong Kong government's plan, all subdivided flats must be registered and filed, and those that do not comply must be rectified within a transition period of several years. In the future, newly built subdivided flats must have a compliant area, separate kitchen and bathroom, and landlords who do not meet the standards may face legal sanctions. However, many residents are skeptical about this policy. Some low-income groups question that if rents continue to rise, they will find it difficult to maintain their current lives.

Social workers from the non-profit organization Kwun Tong Care Group also expressed concerns that the new policy will lead to the forced eviction of a large number of families, especially those who are older and live alone and cannot afford higher rents. Ben Shek, 68, is one of the affected residents. His home is only 5.6 square meters and he shares a toilet with other families. Because of his old age and inconvenience in mobility, he would rather continue to live in Kwun Tong for daily travel and life.

Policy effectiveness is questionable, and vulnerable groups still face challenges

Although the government's plan aims to improve the living environment, it does not solve the deep-seated housing problems derived from subdivided flats. The new policy does not touch on the extremely small "coffin rooms" or "cage rooms", which are the smallest living units in Hong Kong and often relied on by Hong Kong's poor groups.

Researchers at the City University of Hong Kong pointed out that the new policy may inadvertently cause rents to rise and further aggravate housing difficulties. Experts suggest that while implementing the new policy, the government should increase rental subsidies for low-income families and increase support for vulnerable groups to ensure that they will not be displaced due to policy changes.

Improvement and protection need to go hand in hand

The root cause of Hong Kong's housing problem lies in the scarcity and uneven distribution of land supply. To truly solve this problem, in addition to reducing the number of subdivided flats that do not meet the standards, the government also needs to increase the supply of public housing to alleviate the pressure on low-income families. At the same time, ensuring that the implementation of the policy can balance the relationship between improving living conditions and protecting the rights and interests of low-income groups will be an important challenge that Hong Kong must face in future housing policies.

Although this new policy may bring positive changes to the quality of housing in the future, the potential challenges it brings cannot be ignored. While reforming, how to protect the right to survival of vulnerable groups is still the direction that Hong Kong needs to continue to work on housing issues.