Inside Hong Kong’s cage homes
When houses are the size of parking spaces.
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Hong Kong is the most expensive housing market in the world. It has been ranked as the least affordable housing market on Earth for eight years in a row, and the price per square foot seems to be only going up. The inflated prices are forcing Hongkongers to squeeze into unconventionally small spaces that can affect their quality of life.
Tens of thousands of Hongkongers are living in spaces that range from 75 to 140 square feet. To put that in perspective, the average parking space in the US is about 150 square feet. And in the most extreme cases, Hongkongers have resorted to homes the size of a coffin.
I spent some time exploring the living situation in Hong Kong to find out why housing has become so expensive and spaces so tight.
To understand how Hong Kong’s housing market turned out this way and see how it’s affecting people’s lives, watch the final episode of Borders Hong Kong.
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Vox Borders is an international documentary series by Emmy-nominated producer Johnny Harris exploring life at the edge of nations. For more, visit vox.com/borders.
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Cage homes are just one fascinating product of Hong Kong's unique composition and history. For more check out the full Vox Borders Hong Kong playlist here: bit.ly/2OIuyUb
SAME ISSUE IN MUMBAI
Lol
What is the name of the capsule company in the video?
In Hong Kong the average house price is 10000per one m2
Try Singapore
-commit crime -get life sentence -live in cell bigger than the average home -profit
Stonks.
@Hellow Well, in prison u have a bed and ur fed 3 times. Stonks.
really dont want to end up in a chinese prison tbh
@@maou6472 At least you get free housing. You know what, I'll go there right now! *Ahem* Chinese government bad.
-live in cell bigger than the average home -with another 20 people -profit
Sadly enough, prison cells have more space than a cage apartment.
Sigh
Not in china lol
Not necessarily. This depends what prison cells at whatever location you're speaking of...
This is really sad.
What a shame? Is Curry lamb and her Legco blind to such inhumanity?The animals in the zoos have more space to move around.
I used to live in Hong Kong until the protests. Seeing him walk by places I used to walk by countess times to so surreal. My heart also goes out for those in these coffin homes
Me too, I live in Canada now. But next year I will go back to Hong Kong. (I Dont know why though)
Same..
what happened to ppl living there after the protests
i used to live in cheung chau in the late 90s, i cant imagine living in coffin homes :'( such a different lifestyle idn where I would be if my mom didnt sent me here
@@tsRR09their freedom of speech and right to protest has been eroded by the threat of the Chinese extradition bill
Videos like these are reminders for us to be grateful for even a college dorm room or some sort of NYC apartment. I pray for those people living in cage homes
Both Are Bad college dorm is better but you dont own nothing
Don't worry. You'll get your chance.
@@blondthought5175 Owning stuff isn't a choice it's destiny
Comments like this make me realise you live in a compeltely different world than i do. You would be the one to say 'the war wasnt that bad hiroshima had more casualties' stop being positive about things that just Are not to be positive about Its toxic and breeds a playground for those that want to make it worse.
@@Abduckted No some have it and some not some can walk some can't again some are smart in talking while others are smart in building people just have to look what they can do. Yes, and the World needs to agree that they can Perform whatever there are good at.
Even jail cells are more spacious than these claustrophobic confines.
Ikr
Living in a cage is an insult to humanity
and they have their own toilets
At least jail is empty and cage house has tv and stove
@@theratinmypfp8912 it's interesting how having cell bars seem like the main problem because it allows the word "cage" to be used, which has a very inhuman connotation. When actually, the problem is just its size.
This isn't living. This is barely surviving.
Gothiqueluv come to Philippines and you’ll see what real poverty is
I would just leave Hong Kong when its this bad.
Fyn Kozari how? you wouldn’t have money for anything else ...
Come to India you'll see cruel poverty
@@user-je1hr4nm2h why are we comparing?
It's heartbreaking to see children living in such conditions.
I think a housing crash will happen because all those people who bought homes over asking price, although it was at a low interest rate, they are over their heads. They have no equity if the housing prices continue to go down, and if for whatever reason they cannot afford the house anymore and it goes into foreclosure because even if they try to sell, they will not make any money. I think this will happen to a lot of people especially with the massive layoff predicted for the future and the cost of living rising at a high speed.
@@jamesvigor6409 Do you mind sharing info on the adviser who assisted you? been saving for pension since age 18 - company scheme. along the way I hit higher tax, so I added to my company pension with a SIPP (tax benefits) I'm 50 now and would love to grow my finance more aggressively, there are a few cars I still wish to drive, a few mega holidays, etc.
That housing crash in China is going to be amazing to watch.
It's true. It's a dicey situation, and a dicey time. All situations are not equal. Some will be heavily leveraged while others are not. The steadily rising prices, widespread inflation, the horrible costs of food - meat especially - will all have their taxing effects and affects on individual people, and businesses. Will the strain eventually produce a collapse? That's not inevitable, but it seems more and more possible and even likely - unless - unless - the governments which produce these coercive coffin dwelling environments have a change of heart. And that is the most unlikely thing of all.
wow.. such an astute take on 2008
This really shows me how ungrateful I can be
Honestly, I always compare myself to those doing better than me so I never appreciate what I have til I see stuff like this
Well it’s all relevant, if your house is small compared to the neighborhood then you can complain, but you’re not wrong.
@@NatureQueenTv its human nature man, everyone wants to improve
At least u have good ole democracy, if hkers did, their living space wld expand by 1cm. Oh wait
Dont bother feeling guilty about it, it's completely ok to be dissatisfied in random things in our lives from time to time.
This looks like the world's most expensive slum...
Thank you, next HK and the chinese government breathing down your necks. 😔
@@crisu1072 yep 😐
hong kong's not exactly a slum.. it is the richest city on earth but some parts there are pretty poor people but which country doesn't have that too
@@diva3713 it isn't richest city
Agree
Oh god her stress pinching. My heart goes out
That was glaring. Poor woman 😢
I wonder what the Hong Kong Fire Department thinks of these "homes". My father is a retired firefighter and I just think of the horror that would take place if one if these catches on fire!
they don't think of anything, they just put out fires. they don't have a say in it, so why bother.
London : property here is the most expensive New York: hold my beer Singapore : hold my beer Hong Kong : hold my 1M dollar parking spot
NYC : Hold my Cawfee
Singapore public housing is pretty cheap for its quality.
so true
@@toxicfireball2690 Can't disagree with that
Cant forget about San Francisco. More expensive than NYC but less expensive than Singapore. Also Vancouver is pretty high up there as well.
Living in a cage is an insult of humanity
Why not try to build public housing if the government get so much money
@@phoenixyoung9471 Because living in socialism is even worse than living in a cage.
ZLY WEISIOR Socialism？Which country？If you mean mainland china，then u need to get some education and learn to have some common sense. Anyone think china is socialism just reflects her poor education and chaotic thinking.
@@ericwayne1491 More like totalitarianism or dictatorship
@@ericwayne1491 Most countries in the world are socialist countries, China is brilliant opposite example on pair with Singapore.
Been in such a miserable state for so long, brother built dystopian pods with ventilation and thought "wow it's a totally normal human living space but luxurious!"
My heart broke seeing that little boy living in the cage home. No child should have to grow up like that 💔
Her scratching and pinching her arm screams of anxiety and makes me sad.
yeah i doubt living in such conditions is very good for your mentalhealth 😢
She's anxious because you are not allowed to talk bad about your government over there. Hence the reason they didn't show her face.
@@CharlesLeeRay79 you can criticize the government in Hong Kong
I noticed that too... :(
@@jojbenedoot7459 not for long
Imagine that: no family, no wife, no children, earning pennies, in poor health, ageing, eating bad food, and living in a filthy, moldy apartment, in a cage that still costs most of your paycheck in rent. What in the world.
I honestly would've just bought a gun with my last paycheck and ended it right then and there.
Vatian bad news, guns are illegal there.
Wives aren't necessary so scratch that
THAT'S WHY CORONA IS CAME
Yet people still move to Hong Kong, it's a city for the riches.
How fantastic that you’ve brought this to the attention of the world. It’s heartbreaking. Sitting in Hong Kong in a 5 star hotel right now, without this insight who would know of this harsh reality.
I wonder how much rich tourists are to blame lol, see portugal and spain
My heart goes out to everyone of you. I can't imagine what it's like without electricity or an exhaust fan
Imagine quarantining in those small homes. God take care of these people
Hong Kong is one of the safest city on earth right now. There are very few cases , 4 known death and no local outbreak. We have lived through SARS, so we took precautions before anywhere else in the world. School was stopped in January, border began to shut in February. So, we are very lucky in a sense that people here are knowledgeable about this issue, extremely obedient with social distancing instruction and took good care of ourselves
@@huajiluhai Ye i can see why the lockdown happened in January...... Because your govt is literally ccp (it will be soon if not). They know what they are doing and the world didn't.
@@dharmang the world didnt because china blatantly lied about their numbers...and still lying about their numbers
the goverment welded the door shut
nancy143 you guys have about a thousand, while over here in Macao, we only got 45 cases.
New York apartment landlords: *aggressive note taking noises*
Truee
It already happened in New York and Chicago around the turn to the 20th century. We called them "cage hotels"
I live in an apt like this in Manhattan. My room didn’t even have a door, just a curtain.
lololololol
😂😂
I feel really bad for that kid with ADHD and all of the other people living there too😕
Great video! Thank you for sharing. I teach English online to some students in Hong Kong and they shared this information with me. Your video really helped me to grasp this information more clearly.
I feel so bad for old people living in the cage house. Life is so cruel for them
what about the kids who live there? i think it's worst for them
I’d rather be in a cage house instead of the streets
@@skinnyboyasian4847 Nope i'd actually live on the streets especially some where warm like California with parks and a lot of open space than be cramped in cages with diseases everywhere.
truest comment right here🙇♀️
and for the young families with kids
I cannot believe that some celebrities have the nerve to complain about the lockdown whilst they're in their millionaire's mansions. Imagine lockdown in one of these. This makes me remember how lucky I am to be living in an actual house.
Yep,me too,take care Men,and by the way im Brazilian.
@@redswordcalice235 both of you take care and btw I'm Filipino
There trying to be relatable “in these uncertain times no one knows how to go about it. From our family to yours.”
you're living in a trailer in a trailer park, that's not an actual house, it's a trailer.
redswordcalice 23 bruh I live in the USA :/
We feel more blessed. We pray that their conditions will improve.
more blessed? lol
It’s definitely the kitchen. Not only lunch or dinner time but all our family reunions take place in the kitchen where all the family members get together to eat tasty meals, and chat to each other - it’s a really harmonious atmosphere.
This is making my apartment feel like a mansion...
Yess right
imagine a real Mansion
Same Here
It's making my house feel like a palace
In Japan, we call apartments mansions. So I'm living in a mansion now. 😂
my bed feels like a mansion after this. so sad to see these struggling lives
Exactly that's what I am thinking...we can take so much forgranted and think our apartment is small but looking at those "apartments" I am way grateful for my apartment rn
But staple there is much cheaper.
@@mixmixture7049 living in HK and let me tell you NO. remember rents also modify price.
@@boominaughty9531 haha troll.
@@boominaughty9531 lol your pfp
Perhaps a more fundamental solution for this problem is the decentralisation of economic opportunity. You don't need to live in the centre of a city if you can earn a living anywhere there is internet. Great video.
The problem with Hong Kong, is that it's only the city. There is nothing besides china when you leave the city. The problem will only get worse when china starts attacking Hong Kong again.
yes, but I think the demographic of the people living in these spaces are bluecollar manual labours who need to actually show up at work. If I were a factory worker or shopkeeper or maybe a mechanic, I couldn't do my job at home even with 5G internet connection
@@fajarkurniawan9434 will be interesting to see how the decentralisation of knowledge work will effect these jobs. It's a longer term shift we're talking about here - thats for sure.
It's convenience cost. A guy who had lived in USA since he was 7. He came back to HK 20 years later. I told him get the hotel little bit far such as 20 minute bus distance. He said he'll no. Notice, he got used to commute long hour in Los Angeles. 20 minute bus distance in LA nothing, but 20 minutes to HK downtown is not ok. Yes, bus in LA runs every hour, but bus in suburbs HK runs every 10 minutes. People get used to convenience. HK is small, but people can find cheaper n better housing in New Territory. Yes, when I visited HK, I stayed in a hotel in New Territory, the one I recommended my friend to go. The room was bigger, and hotel cost was cheaper. Getting to restaurants, shopping centers, residential area without cars was easier than any places in LA. The problem is after that 20 minutes to downtown, you still have to catch buses, subway, taxi. He just did not want to spend that time. Yes, he commutes a lot in LA, but he couldn't stand that commute time in Hak. I guess that is Hker mentality. Me, living in LA without car for 4 decades, if I had to live in HK, I would pick cheapest n comfortable housing. It may take 90 minutes n one train and 2 buses. Still better than LA
@@commentorsilensor3734 the thing about Hong Kong is that the 20 minutes is not just the 20 minutes of sitting around doing nothing - during commuting hours that is 20 minutes of being squished in the sardine cans (a.k.a. the buses and the MTR) while people shove, push, maybe step on your foot and smell terrible while being held back from walking because it seems like HK people are glued to their smartphones like white on rice
Those rooms made me realise that I’ve been taking my own little house for granted 💀
I just realized how blessed I am to be living in a rural area in a comfortable house.
Ukraine or Russia?
@@bhrugurajsinhjhala5539 there is no bob neither vagene for you
Living in rural area is actually the best place tbh as I used to lived before moving in to urban area.
@@alejandro4002 Bro you should not do this. You dont know why was he asking.
Get your rat out
This should be a violation against human rights.
I even think that Chinese/ Hong Kong government set the corona virus to control the population. Why only older people (beside they have the lower immune systems)?
And thats why corona is here
Add it to their list of human rights violations
@@evhookalways you should say CCP send coronavirus to lower your IQ,
not that BAD . at least u can eat , sleep.what is the real against human rights is the system in north korea. so dont put any thing on government .who can find the way ???
Wow, what an informative and enlightening video, and not at all what I naively expected! Thank you
I don't have claustrophobia but I'm getting super anxious. The fights must be epic & that energy came across clearly the second they showed the kitchen & bathroom... 2:42
If you needed another reason why The people of Hong Kong are protesting against their government so heavily, here it is.
Actually, most of them are protesting against the Chinese government wanting to take away HK's autonomy
@@TrackSol that's how it started, but it has become more widespread over time.
Imagine seeing damage caused by capitalists trying to maximize profits, and thinking it is fault of China.
HK has actually lots of land to develop and only 30% of land has been developed. The main reason HK has no affordable housing is because before the British left, they sold all the land rights to 4 or 5 groups(HK Oligarchs), this was international as everyone know Oligarchs are self serving and only care about themselves.These groups have controlled HK legislation to benefit themselves(similar to how the Corporations in USA use politicians for their benefit i.e. lower taxes)so they get richer while ordinary citizens suffer. Should sound familiar to anyone in the west.
@@t2gs Imagine thinking you can't criticize one thing because you are criticizing another thing.
I will never complain about the size of my room or house again.
I will :)
lol same
@@josuemartinez4828 lol
Yes and you will probably complain about other things I guess
Dude same!! I'm so grateful
It is intolerable to force people to live like this as it impacts every part of their being, even the air they breathe. Far too many people are living in these miniscule carpark sized homes. Due to the horrendous ventilation, it is incredibly difficult for them to breathe and is reducing their lifespan. The leaders of Hong Kong are doing nothing about this, they have been forced to live like this for too long. We need to think of a solution! Although some people are designing these futuristic coffin homes that seem marginally more appealing than these cage homes, it is not enough. I find this unacceptable, the people of Hong Kong deserve better living conditions.
I wish nothing but the best to those people. I hope it gets better
I feel sad to see older people having this kind of living situation.
and that one woman had a kid :(
Any people*
totally agree, i think they're are the ones that are the most affected by these, i find it really cruel
AS IF IT WASN'T ENOUGH OF PEOPLE DISRESPECTING ELDERS AND NOW , THIS. :-((
Right ;(
Ah yes, the essentials: water, medicine, karaoke stuff
Can u imagine living not only in a capsule, but in a capsule where your neighbor is a karaoke enthusiast?
@HooK Then it may be worth spending a few hundred thousand dollars more for one of the 'normal homes' 😂
Man's just wanna have fun
Hi
@@mr.phoenix8691 I bet he wish he could
Your cinematography is awesome dude
This is so sad it break my heart to see people go through this
If the government had to iive in these, things would change immediately.
The government isn’t a person and neither are policies.
Except that government is people?? It's the group of people who govern a community.
@@bradylpetersen he obviously means politicians you asinine pedantist.
The government in Hongkong is so weak that it can do nothing. Singapore's policies are much better.
theres nothing to do with gvn. the top families on the rich list is controlling the economy of HK. even gvn has to listen to their words
Homeless people in the USA: "God help those people."
homeless people in hong kong crowd under the bridges and mcdonalds
@Joni Jones I don't know what you said had to do with what I said. I was replying to "god help those people" when bridges and mcdonalds are helping them. But no, the government has no plan to help them but rather setting up laws for apartments to legally be chopped up to get even more inhumanely smaller to cram those people in just to get them off the street so the street looks cleaner. Saving face is apparently more important than people's happiness.
@Joni Jones Actually there must be limitation about having more than one kid for every person on earth. In the upcoming years water and food supply will not be sufficient.
@Citygirl Poland you see the imigrants are actually working, most of them are very poor so they have to work more than regular americans to make a living. If they were just homeless people then i would agree with you but you are just being racist
@Rikki Jo Whoa, where did this come from? Don't get me wrong, I understand where your coming from with parents easily abusing America's public welfare systems and costing others more in return, but where did this rant come from?
Wow man I truly appreciate your whole deep to research to the matter
I live in London, and I've complained about having to rent a room for £600 a month.. I suddenly feel very grateful that I can stretch my legs and reach the outdoors with a single flight of stairs 😢
This is very sad, putting business before human basic needs and dignity.
capitalism 💗
@@donnalie8851 true, businessmen thrive under capitalism but govt has the responsibility to their citizen for basic needs, not function like businessmen like in HK's case.
@Austin Martín Hernándezfree market is capitalism. What we have in the US is not 100% capitalism.
@@primekrunkergamer188 a completely unregulated market would be an extremely bad idea
@@givemeshrubs4295 that's why laissez faire capitalism is a terrible idea
Watching this has made me appreciate my own living space big time
Most countries have enough space apart from places in Britain and Hong Kong.
Terry Summers please go away
You will be surprised that how rich you are compare of others around the world.
Fr yo
For sureeee
Wonderful content. I loved watching this. If I could recommend something, it would be leave the background music in the background. I had to turn the video down quite a bit and just read the captioning because the music seemed louder than your narration. I appreciate the eye opening information though. Thank you for your work.
my 1 room home, looks like a mansion now!!! always be thankful for what you got 🙌
When I heard “$980k” for an average home, my head blew off
Michael Te Miha In Auckland the average home is less than $600,000 USD. That is pretty typical for a large city. For instance, the average cost of a home in Toronto, Canada is over $700,000 USD. Hong Kong is definitely a significant outlier.
@@emmamacdonald82 Toronto, Ontario, which is in Canada. We include the province when we say our cities. Ottawa, Ontario. Vancouver, B.C., Halifax, Nova Scotia.. etc etc
I live in Toronto and pretty small houses in my area are sold for over 2 million, it depends which area but even in the poorer areas, houses are still pretty expensive
In my city we got a three bedroom one and a half bathroom house with one kitchen one dining room and one yard for 10k. It's 20 minutes from the nearest city. Why don't people just live near cities but not in them?
This is the price of an appartement for a family of 4 near Geneva.
"Here is my table with my karaoke stuff"- I bet he's popular with the neighbours!
*dancing queen playing next door*
You can imagine the guy telling "listen, we talked about it with the others and we all agreed that the very idea that you brought a karaoke machine in here forces us to beat you up pretty bad".
Mankindfails *brutal beating witnessed on liveleak* ?
Loooooooool
I guarantee sometimes the neighbors want to join him seeing as Karaoke is really popular in Asian countries.
Videos like this make me grateful I have a large 4 room 2 bathroom farmhouse with my wife and livestock
They have five story building with 30 bedrooms and enough land to grow rice and vegetables to feed10 people for whole year in their birth city but the problem is they like to live in lightning hk there alone enjoying drugs 16 hours in heaven and rest sleeping doing what human have to do.
267 dollars for that space??? in my county 200 dollars can get you 3 br, 2 bathroom, Semi-furnished 1 kitchen, garage, laundry area., balcony. you can rent a whole house basically
What country?
Philippines the same. I rent a 3 bedroom house for $100.
@@michdeguzman3581 Bruh you can't even rent a Parking space for $100 a month here (London)
@@UnfathomableBlackness probably the philippines
I was born in Hong Kong and i am really lucky to be born into a family that afford an actual 2 bedroom apartment in Hong Kong.
Same here
same. 4 bedroom apartment is such a luxury here
PolarTecx so your a billionaire 😂
in indonesia we got 5 houses
@@zacharystone8817 you're a billionaire
these tall buildings are like an anxiety attack made physical
And just imagine all those poor people if their building were to catch fire! Sad!! :-(
I always say high-rise buildings are dangerous in an emergency
I agree, I cannot watch this as it is making me claustrophobic
Theres no room for anxiety attack
Im from hong kong and I live on the 40th floor on a high-rise and i actually like it because i like to see the skyline up high.
I am overwhelmed by how people can live, adapt and continue. My home is so big…
Slightly better than the dorms I lived when I was an undergraduate in China.
As a hong konger, currently a 1 bedroom apartment is 1.2 million USD. I do not know a family that owns their place that didnt buy it in the 80s or not making 7 figures a year
Omg that's so expensive. In india 1 bed room house costs around 6000-13000 usd to buy and own them
If the land is leased for 50 yr periods, what happens to home “owners” who’ve bought their houses in the 80s? Will they have to “buy” a new place in the 2030s?
How about China
Oo
Is that to buy or to rent?
I am a Hong Kong student. The new government policy to release more public housing is to tighten the qualification of tenants. My family which has 5 members including my parents, my two brothers and me lose our qualification to live in public housing. This means we have to move away soon. The rent outside is unimaginably high. To save money for the future, my father don't allow me to eat outside, constrain the use of air conditioner, use a dim light, etc. I understand his worry but I still angry about it. We have conflict frequently. But I know many people use loopholes to let themselves qualified for the public housing, as my mum told me. I wonder whether some methods they use are legal. That's unfair. (Sorry for poor English. I just want to express my anger.)
i agree with the unfair thing. i live in a part of texas, u.s.a. that has many undocumented citizens, and although i feel bad for their families and empathize with their reason for moving, i still feel it is not right that legal citizens have to pay for taxes and other things when they dont
@Alternateoutcome No, Hong Kong is NOT in the commonwealth! Moreover, move out of HK need $$$ and I don't think my family will do this.
I understood your english fairly well, a few bumps but otherwise good 👍🏻
Short sad story. Sorry for that. You family should discuss about plan to move for better life in the future..
As someone who lived in a third world country I know how hard it is to move out. When you apply for visa you need the money,patience and time to do so and there's no even 100% guarantee that you will get it. And even if you do where would you even get the money to buy a plane ticket? :// it's really sad that government aren't doing anything :( I hope the best for you and your family! Stay strong!
As a person who lives in Hong Kong I’m grateful for a living in a private apartment…I cannot imagine for those.
9:05 - Thanks for throwing in a random jump scare that made it seem like you suddenly had to evacuate that capsule! 😂
These cages are seriously soul crushing to look at, I didn't know anything like that existed in a city like Hong Kong.
All that glitters is not gold
andrewnicorn me too....i would feel so claustrophobic and what abiut your privacy?
I didnt know either but i had a dream i was in hong kong and i happened to see cage houses and keep in mind this was before i even watched this video. Its a mystery how the brain functions
it's an image of the city that's commonly projected in mainstream film, you probably subconsciously recall these images. nothing psychic about that.
Capitalism at work...
I like to think that guys’ karaoke machine is his ray of sunshine in his poor living condition 🥺💕
Christina Johnson me too 😭💔
Hongkongers like karaoke a lot. So yes, it probably takes his mind off of things. I wish Hong Kong will have a better housing infrastructure soon .-.
Him and I should go karaoke-ing
His neighbour may not agree
@@polyconcave I was thinking the same thing
I'd rather be homeless than live like this
Not when it's cold out, freezing, you can freeze to death🌸☺
Spoken like someone who's never been homeless
Good job Vox
When that old man said he'd been living in that cramped cage home for 2 straight years it broke my heart. I've lived in a windowless bedroom for a few months and I thought that was soul destroying enough 😥
i feel you man
Class in a windowless room crushes your soul let alone living in one lmao
I don't know where you live but I'm pretty sure you have to have a window in your room
I live in Honduras and my window has a view to a concrete block wall 3 feet away lol.
I've been living as a lodger for 6 years and im at the point where I want to go out camping just to get my own space because I feel cramped, I would go insane in hong kong, what makes this depressing for me, is that there are people here in the UK that want the UK to be exactly like hong kong.
Can you imagine how scary this crowded situation will be with the coronavirus (covid-19) outbreak will be in Hong Kong!!
The chinese government is building clinics for corona virus patients near these residential areas. So there is a big chance of it spreading in hong kong quickly.
It would lower the cost of living in the long run. And minimize the crowd and pollution.
nightOWL honestly the corona virus might help hong kong and their economy
Or in the case of a fire...
This is what happened with SARS in 2003 when 1 person in an apartment building infected 200s others and 2 other apartments next to it
Not sure what the weather is like year round but I think I’d rather see up a tent in the woods then live in a home like those.
But how long can you live in tent in the woods?
@@dddila You can just occasionally travel to the city to get supplies, I think the issue would be trespassing. Someone has to own those woods.
@@sunnyday6679 yeah, the government.
@@dddila …. you know people do that now…?
It is really wet year round so there are bugs like mosquitoes everywhere, a walk in a city park could already get you a few bites, so camping in the wild is definitely going to have it’s own problems
Dude I would never be able to live sanely in such a claustrophobic space like that. I mean I've lived in a really small single room for 2 years but it still wasn't as small as what these people are living in.
I guess protesting on the street is better than staying at home
It literlally is
lOL, that was hillarious.
@@eduardochavacano its true
@@daisydaswani689 it may be worth living in these cages.... well, at least in HK, when you go out, its just beautiful. There is just something in the air of HK, that feels so western and yet so oriental. Its not the same ambiance like Singapore or even Shenzhen.
Well, yeah, there's more space.
The thought of poverty or being homeless absolutely terrifies me. Who’s there to say this won’t happen to any of us?
Yes,I think it could happen to us if our government took our land away for their own. I could see these greedy people in office doing that. I mean they are already going to buy back all the property at a cheap price. I have property I can not make payments on. So do some of my friends. In Iowa. We will lose property. The government does not seem to be helping ma and Pa landlords enough.
Except it is happening. All of the world. Poverty. Homelessness. Forced to live in cages. While the rich get richer. It's horrific. We live paycheck to paycheck and I am grateful after watching this video that our rent is less than some of those with 2 bedroom, 2 bath. :(
@Cikgu Kucing - Aimi Miao your mentality means people have to live like this
@OMEGALUL Clap This isn't capitalism, all land is owned by the government. This is socialism to the core, government owns all of this, no free market for land.
And that's exactly why I'll never go in debt. You never know when your income will seize to exist, and if you have unnecessary expensive responsibilities, welp, there you go. Recipe for disaster.
I feel like this is happening to us in the USA. Where big companies and government own more and more houses that the rents keep going up and not a lot of people can afford a big house now.
I think it's good tho to have so many green spaces - especially in this climate crises. However, it is sad to see that the land is not being used properly and the legislations limiting development in the city. They could do so much good with the land and still be environmentally friendly and raise liveability in the city.
You see people living in dog cages and you say the green is good because of the climate. My god.......
@@Magdalena287 Did you read the whole comment or you got stuck on the first sentence?
I feel so sad for the lady with the child who has ADHD.
Same I have adhd and just being in that space will probably make me go nuts
@@dyamondwomack549 what adhd
@@robertevbayekha6639 Attention deficit hyperactive disorder
I have adhd too and I would hate living in that, mostly because of how many people are around
Yeah,I Have ADHD and being around with many people cause me to riot. Literally
I see Westerners having houses with actual kitchens and a staircase with a backyard and a driveway. Meanwhile I'm living in a crammed apartment (rented, I've never lived in property that was actually owned by my family, unlike a lot of you) with 6 people, a bedroom for my sister and I (bunk bed) where there is barely space to walk, a bedroom for my parents, a living room where the TV is 2 meters away from the sofa, another bunk bed in the living room for my auntie and grandpa. And God forbid anyone ever has to be in our kitchen and bathroom. You'd probably cry if you had claustrophobia. We don't even have a bathtub. It's just a square space in the corner. And I'm considered LUCKY in Hong Kong. It just breaks me how we'd be able to afford and live in houses with two floors and a kitchen with a table and everything the common Westerner has. But we can't, because we settled here and we can't just start a new life. Be grateful you even have a mirror in your bathroom.
hey there 😟😟😭
Who asked?
@@Rezyrage83 Be quiet, saying "Who asked" is just inconsiderate. We should all be grateful for what we have.
why don't yall move? could be good in the long run.
can you escape somehow?
the capsule is epic, the housing is really unfortunate for most of the people though, hopefully the government fixes this
Mate, the scariest combination of words in any language is "We are the government, and we're here to help". I fully believe that it's their fault that things became like this in the first place.
Hong Kong limits the amount of space that can be rent because most is owned by the government! Hong Kong isn’t running out of living space but with being a tax free for businesses it’s mostly space for work and not living!
the fact that some of these peoples living spaces are smaller than the size of my bed.. its just sad.. edit: I have a queen bed y'all adhjsfnsbfji
@Mk47 why are you like this
@@bta7658 because the HongKongese people back to 2001 protested against the policy that would provide 85000 low price apartments PER YEAR at the time coz they think that policy devalues their own house(indeed). More ironically, there is a new one coming out that says "in order to protect the NATURE ENVIRONMENT in HK, there will be NO more development out of those areas. When the majority of hongkong people wants the price of their property to go up, those homeless people's life doesn't seem to matter that much.
@@midfidelity7180 why is it funny that people live in a space smaller than this person bed
MidFidelity welcome to capitalism where profits always come before the people and the nation.
@@democracydignityhumanrights is your username a JoJo reference?
Living in my house in Africa is not looking so bad now.
Most of Africa a lot better than you think.
@White Face he owns a construction business in Ghana that's all I know he sells clothes but thats probably just passive income
@White Face high end* construction
Tobore Yalaju cool what part of Africa?
@@yourstruly7086 Ghana but idk that much about it
The only question - Why the lower standard of living and the worse people live, the higher population is? If people produce next population, then they are happy with what surrounds them. This is applicable for Africa, China, India, Southeast Asia and other countries with quite low quality of life but with the biggest population on their land.
Interesting video with GREAT music!
How ridiculous is it that that little piece of land was sold for billions of dollars
It wasn't sold, it was leased
Right! Worse thn NY. I just need $5k and I'm good.
Supply and demand. Nothing extraordinary.
@@xdygmnyrdf You are speaking about economy and logic, while they are speaking about feelings. Think it trough my Economic friend :/
Correction, it was leased not sold.
After watching this I actually felt very rich and blessed.
you forgot to type *felt*
@@kh4nkashif its okay you edit ur comment
same
For real tho i felt the same, i currently rent a whole house for only 50 USD/Month, well when it's true i got a lucky price, but the average cost of renting the same type house here is about 60-80 USD/Month.
Riza Alfarisi Jesus. Thats very low.
Watching that makes me realise how lucky we are in Australia. It makes me sad to see people living in those circumstances.
Because you exploited
2:08 I lived in a bedroom smaller than that in Santiago de Chile for $130-$150 a month, I was making about $350 to $450 monthly. Housing is a problem in most of major cities as you can see.
What if a fire breaks out? These poor people will be roasted in their cages!
Damn dude, that is inevitable Will be a sad day
brayo144 even worst if is an earthquake
@@dianacassinelli9467 yh
@@thestation4768 "inevitable" especially considering those conditions
Imagine an outbreak of smallpox or tubercolosis in that cramped area. Yeesh...
just by calling them "coffin" homes means it's not a way of living but a slow way of dying
wOaH bRo ThAtS dEeP
Isn’t aging a slow way of dying
if youd like to be deep, then wether youre not living in a coffin home or a 3.8billion dollar mansion, youll be dying sometime soon
@@zesu09 bRo THaTs DeeP
Under rated comment here 👍
The architects who design these apartments are criminals.
did you watch it ? they didn’t design them that small. this is done by people who own the apartments.
I am curious how they were living at the time of COVID. Infectious diseases would have been easy to spread in a small space, with poor air circulation, and in a densely populated area. But the death toll in Hong Kong is not that high, is it? Was it not a problem?
As an introvert who NEEDS to be alone most of the time,this is horrifying. I feel deeply sad for these people who have no alone time or personal space.
An introvert's nightmare: Downtown Hong Kong
On the flip side, those pods do look cozy.
@@jaywinner328 no. Just no. I prefer traditional than sci fi.
Imagine if someone snores at night. My gosh. That's my biggest worry when moving to live somewhere in an apartment complex.
Introverts don't hate socializing? They just don't care as much. At least most of them. Introvert ≠ shy
HK government: Freest economy on earth HK people: Lives in cages
manho capitalism 100
That's a problema caused by the goverment actually, if they privaticed the land the problem would be solved instantly.
julio1c1saga capitalism 100
This is reason Tax very very important. Pls, pay full tax for Trump changing Hongkong.
Why does this come across as a contradiction to you? They live in the cages per their own free will. They can move to mainland China and lives at a much lower cost. They choose to live in Hong Kong perhaps for the opportunities Hong Kong offers.
The government is somewhat trying to fix this problem by building more houses but currently the population is growing steadily and there is still no signs of slowing down.
Omg! This breaks my heart 😢
I'm more impressed than anything at how they can live in such cramped, & depressing environments while keeping your humanity and sanity intact. It's amazing how mentally strong you have to be to not fall into a pit of despair.
Watch 2:43 again, they fight all the time :/
MadMrMatter no one should ever have to be that "strong."
@@LuckyMe24-7 yeah, ive seen prison cells bigger than those rooms lol
They are not.. I lived in Hong Kong for 3 months. People are losing their mind
MadMrMatter I don’t think they know any better. You must have seen better days to know how bad days feel like!
Its like living in a prison but you have to pay for everything yourself
Taxes
Even prison cells have more space than these apartments
In private prisons in the US you have to work to support guards and private prisons that jail you... Thanks the highest federal minimums in any nation, and a corrupt system of pleading guilty b/c poor people have no good lawyers, and lobbying by these private prison companies to both the Republican and Democratic campaigns the US has more prison population than all countries in the world.
There are prisons that work like thsi
If anything it probably worse
There are the new territories with 2 floor houses. The government did want to buy the land and develop but they changed their mind.