Why do people live in subdivided flats?

Why do people live in subdivided flats?

Housing shortage The waiting list for public housing increased from 129,000 to 152,000 in 2010 (a 17.8% rise within one year). As a result of the long wait, many people turned to subdivided flats, where the rentals are much cheaper than private housing.

How big is a subdivided flat?

Roughly half of all subdivided flats are only approximately 123 square feet in size (11.43 square metres), and over 20% of subdivided flats are less than 75 square feet (6.97 square metres) in floor area.

What is the housing problem in Hong Kong?

According to the latest report from Our Hong Kong Foundation on Hong Kong’s land and housing supply crisis, private residential development has fallen from a peak of 25,500 units in 2017-18 to 13,020 units in 2020-21. Along with the reduction in quantity has come a decrease in quality.

Who lives in subdivided flats?

More than 90,000 households are living in subdivided flats – up 3.6 percent from last year – latest statistics show. They are among 127,100 inadequately housed households, the highest in Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s tenure, according to the annual Long-Term Housing Strategy Report released yesterday.

What is a subdivided building?

subdivided building means a building having two or more storeys which is capable of being subdivided into parcels as defined in section 2 of the Land (Subsidiary Titles) Enactment 1972.

Why are there so many apartments in Hong Kong?

The high costs of housing have caused some to live in very small subdivided flats, sometimes referred to as “coffin homes”, with an estimated 110,000 subdivided units in Hong Kong.

Who owns property in Hong Kong?

Under the Basic Law, Article 7 states that while all land within Hong Kong is “State property”, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is responsible for the “management, use and development” and “lease or grant” to land users.

Are there slums in Hong Kong?

This rooftop dwelling in Kwun Tong accommodates around 40 people. Residents often use this open area for gatherings or to air-dry their laundry. Rooftop houses are usually found in Hong Kong’s old urban areas such as Sham Shui Po, Yau Ma Tei and Kwun Tong.

Are subdivided flats legal?

A law to cap rent increases for subdivided flats, which house some of Hong Kong’s poorest residents, will come into effect in three weeks, with six NGOs appointed to help promote the legislation. The law covers about 92,200 flats and limits rent rises to no more than 10 per cent per two-year lease period.

What is a subdivided flat?

What are subdivided flats? Subdivision of a flat into the commonly-known “subdivided units” generally refers to the subdivision of a flat as shown on the original approved plan of a building into two or more individual rooms.

What are subdivided flats in Hong Kong?

Subdivided flats (also called subdivided units) are a ubiquitous kind of rental housing present in Hong Kong. They are flats which shown on the original approved plan of a building being subdivided into two or more individual rooms.

What are the building works associated with subdivision of a flat?

The building works associated with subdivision of a flat commonly involve the removal of the original non-structural partition walls, erection of new non-structural partition walls, thickening of floor screeding and addition of door openings. These works may overload the floor slabs, beams and even the columns of the building.

Who is the platform concerning subdivided flats and issue?

We plan to interview Mr. Lai, an alliance member of the Platform Concerning Subdivided Flats and Issue in Hong Kong, a non-government organization whose primary concern is the subdivided housing issue.