f you are in a world-class city, you might expect to live largely. And if you live in the “Lucky House” of the most expensive city in the world, you might expect some fancy lifestyle that would make others consider you fortuitous. Sadly, this is not the case for the residents of Lucky House, they live in what’s known as a Hong Kong cubicle.
“BED BUG INFESTATIONS HAPPEN FREQUENTLY”. South China Morning Post
The residents are anything but fortunate, living as the poorest set of people in a city as expensive as Hong Kong. However, what singles out their plight are the living conditions of their coffin homes.
Cage Homes and Coffin Cubicles
Imagine living inside a purpose-built plywood bunk bed that has its own sliding door. The space designated to each tenant is so small, 30 people will live in a 500 sq ft area. Personal space amounts to about 12 sq ft area.
Cage homes are minuscule rooms, which are really beds sealed by wooden planks. Cage homes are so rampant in this city that over 200,000 people have these as their housing quarters.
These Hong Kong housing quarters are teeming with bed bugs, and so cramped that there is barely enough space to sit up. The coffin homes are covered up, so no natural light will reach the occupants of the cubicles. Typically, the only light source will be a small window at the end of the apartment. Consequently, there is no sense of time within these cage homes.
The inhumane conditions of the coffin cubicles do not escape the notice of the residents. Nonetheless, scarcity of housing options keeps them as tenants of places like the Lucky House.
“DUE TO THE LIMITED SPACE, BRONCHITIS IS QUITE COMMON. SOME SUB-DIVIDED UNITS ARE BUILT WITHOUT WINDOWS, SO THE AIR FLOW IS NOT GOOD FOR HEALTH.Gordon Chick Kui Wai, Community Organizer
The Evolution of Coffin Homes
Hong Kong cubicles started in the 1950s. They were mostly for new immigrants from China as part of employee housing packages. Most cage homes used to be made out of wire mesh. However, the last decade has seen them replaced by wooden planks.
The make-do structures have gradually become accepted in this society. Citizens are so used to them that they see it as a lifestyle. For example, one dormitory in Hong Kong styled its interior as a modern-day hip version of coffin homes.
Who Would Live in a Hong Kong Cubicle?
The renters of coffin homes all fall under the same social category. The Hong Kong cubicles usually consist of the poorest people in the country, including retirees, addicts, the unemployed, the working poor and those with mental illnesses. The spiraling costs of accommodation in the city makes it extremely difficult for the people in this social class to get any better spaces.
Social Implications for Residents and The Community
As can be expected, the cubicle homes take a toll on tenants’ mental health. Tenants sometimes live in these confining spaces for months, even years. Cases of claustrophobia, depression, anxiety, and the absence of social life are some of the conditions that occupants have to deal with. Still, reporters claim that the residents of Hong Kong cubicles are some of the friendliest people, easily warming up to new occupants and willing to show them the ropes of coffin living.
Most of the cubicle homes are not far from the bustling social areas that are considered the top glitz and glamour parts of Hong Kong. For instance, Lucky House is roughly 20 minutes from the city’s financial district, where you would find the most expensive shops and tallest skyscrapers. Living right in the middle of such a costly district makes the contrast all the more glaring.
Despite the stark poverty in places like Lucky House, citizens of Hong Kong who have no consistent financial income have no other option. Renting one of these cubicle homes can cost as much as HK$ 1800 – HK$ 2500 per month — a steep price for an unemployed occupant.
Besides, the Hong Kong residents who don’t live in these cubicles seem to have accepted coffin homes as a part of the city’s reality. Only a small number of people are still actively trying to do something about the living conditions.
Coffins of the Future
Housing in Hong Kong is the worst in the world, with unrealistic prices that make securing a home extremely difficult. The average person would have to save their pre-tax salary for 18 years before they can afford a home.
Furthermore, reports of poverty in Hong Kong are at an all-time high. This is particularly alarming considering that Hong Kong has reported over HK$ 860billion in fiscal reserves.
The unequal distribution of wealth increases the possibility that nothing will change anytime soon. Coffin homes might continue as a norm — and if the government does not take care of the situation — it can become the standard housing choice for the poorest people of Hong Kong.
