In a city known for its soaring skyscrapers and luxury properties, a very different type of housing has long plagued Hong Kong: subdivided units, shoebox apartments, and the infamous coffin homes and cage homes. These tiny, overcrowded living spaces, sometimes not much bigger than a single bed, house over 200,000 of Hong Kong’s poorest residents.
Now, the Hong Kong government is attempting to tackle this housing crisis with a set of new regulations announced earlier this year. The reforms, set to be in place by late 2026, aim to improve living conditions in subdivided units by mandating minimum sizes, proper windows, private toilets, and fire safety standards.
Critics Skeptical of Reform Impact
However, many housing advocates and residents are skeptical that the measures will make a meaningful difference, especially for those in the poorest quality housing. The new 8 square meter minimum size for subdivided units is still extremely small – only slightly larger than Hong Kong’s average prison cell.
Social worker Lai Shan Sze, who regularly visits residents in coffin homes, points out the new rules don’t actually target these smallest living spaces. While the government claims coffin homes are covered by older laws, Sze argues those 30-year-old regulations are easy for landlords to skirt.
The government said it wanted to get rid of ‘low-quality’ sub-divided units, but it’s coffin homes that are the worst.
– Housing activist Kenny Ng
There are also concerns that in forcing upgrades to subdivided units, rents will increase in what is already one of the least affordable housing markets in the world. Coffin home rents can reach HK$3,000 (US$380) per month for a space the size of a single bed.
More Public Housing Needed
Sze and other advocates argue the only real solution is for the government to develop more public housing. Over 200,000 applicants are on the waitlist for public housing, with wait times stretching over 5 years. The government has pledged to build 43,600 new public flats by 2030.
But for now, residents in Hong Kong’s notorious tiny apartments and coffin homes remain skeptical that their living conditions will improve under the new policies. As one resident put it: “The government says it, but they can’t actually do it.”
As Hong Kong continues to grapple with extreme housing inequality, it remains to be seen if these latest reforms will make a dent in easing the city’s chronic housing woes for its most vulnerable residents. The road ahead appears challenging, with critics arguing much bolder action is still needed.
