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
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
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.
@@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.
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.
@James Vigor 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.
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.
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
@@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.
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
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 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 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.
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 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
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.
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'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.
@@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.
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
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
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".
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. :(
@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.
When I was doing business in HK 3 years ago it was heartbreaking to see the extreme gap between the haves and have nots. I once saw a very old man struggling to pull a cart up a steep road - collecting recyclables to make living. It was stinking hot. He had ripped shorts, no shirt and very old shoes. His back was permanently bent out of shape. No one even looked at him. I helped him with the cart. It was heartbreaking. These mini documentaries are so important. Thank you.
Nathan, I'm from NYC as well, you should look harder. I've seen people like this described above. Maybe not as many, but it's a problem in every major city.
Besides being cramped, it’s probably not that sanitary, either. I wonder if any of them really get any sleep as it looks so uncomfortable. Safety is a big issue, especially if a fire were to start. It’s a shame that these people must live in such horrid conditions. I pray that things will improve for them. This makes me so grateful for my small house. I must stop taking all that I have for granted. Videos like this are great reminders.
They definitely are😔 I complain that iv been in the same apartment 8 years an I want to upgrade but it's huge an I have my own patio and a little yard that's all mine and that's rare for an apt.... I complain that my car is broken but I have a friend that barrows me his beautiful truck anytime I need it!! I need to realize I have so much to be grateful for and just keep thanking God for every blessing he's given me 💜
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.
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.
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.
This brought back dark times in my childhood when my mom lost her job and the two of us including my big sister had to live in friend of moms garage for about 5 months. Looking at how whole families live in those spaces for years makes me feel ever more grateful
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.
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?
I remember visiting one of my aunts and uncles in Hong Kong a few years ago. They had a small apartment with 2 small bedrooms, a small kitchen, a shower without a tub or that shower box thingy, and a small living room. The entire apartment combined is probably smaller than my family’s living room in Edmonton Canada. Then I realized that they were actually really wealthy... Yeah something has to change. I can’t imagine the living conditions of the average citizen in Hong Kong with such small living spaces.
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
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!
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
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.
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)?
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 ???
I have family in Hong Kong, that are now recently being forced to move back to the UK due to these extortionate prices, even with full time banking jobs.
@@jasonroy1047 As someone in exactly the same position as AT80 Beats described, I can answer that. Yes.... Well it's one of many things, but probably the either most or second most important reason for people leaving.
I'm a hongkonger and this is true. We use our entire life to pay the mortgage for our tiny apartment, we don't call that living but survive, even our life were so hard but we wont forget who we are.
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.
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.
I would be so afraid to live in a house that high and without any room; imagine one of the lower floors catches fire; i think its not even that unlikely considering how many people are squeezed in there...
i visited some family friends in hong kong like 10 years ago. I never understood the city looked like this, as they lived in a huge luxurious apartment, which i thought everyone did as i was 8 at the time. This is pretty shocking.
My uncle lived for quite a while in Hong Kong, heading the Asian market of a big company. He always returned over the winter holidays and one year my family borrowed his apartment for few days (we were visiting my sister who was in Thailand as a volunteer). It was fairly spacey, high up in the richer parts of Hong Kong.
I lived in Shanghai for a while in a studio apartment about the size of a single room at the Holiday Inn. Oh, and this coincided with COVID, so I had to quarantine there. It nearly drove me out of my mind. Yet that apartment would've been a luxury to these people. It just goes to show what happens when governments care more about businesses than about people.
I have a friend who lives in Shanghai. She wants a cat so much, but she lives in one room that she rents from someone and feels like it's too small for a cat. That makes me so sad! I have 6 cats. One of them is her "honorary cat". I never asked her how much that one small room costs her each month....probably quite a lot.
but the old people wanted it like that, don't be sad for the old people. be sad for the young people like the kids with adhd who has a lazy mother that can't even provide for her son properly. what an awful mother that is. i hope one day lazy people will be banned from having children. only hard working people should be allowed to have kids, that way the kids will have everything they need and don't have to suffer from their parents laziness
@@yoshtg How about you go work and come home to a cramped place that gives you breathing problems and we can call you lazy when you struggle long-term with housing prices more expensive than in the United States.
these capsule homes and cage homes are like not meant for living they're more like places to sleep or rest in between your work like i cant imagine staying there for a whole day
Honestly the capsule homes should be in many places, but rentable for idk, a night or week, not as a normal way, it should be for drivers and tourists going long ways by car, not by people working every day and returning to this
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.
Back when I was homeless (for a few years), I was able to rent a small closet from someone for around $150 per month for about 6 months. It was actually a bit smaller than the cage homes in this video, but I can certainly relate and empathize with the people in Hong Kong who are living this way. Aside from the obvious inconveniences, it also does a number on your psychological state. I always felt like I was "almost" a human being, but just slightly less than one. . .
Done that myself, was renting a "room" that was smaller than most of the apartments shown in the video, and it was rough because you just love in such a small camped up space, hardly enough to fit a bed, I didn't even have space for a desk or table. I was paying full rent for it too (the rent for the unit was split 6 ways)
When you have gone through such hardships in life you come out strong. And that strength serves you better than any amount of money. Best of luck to your future :)
I am local and I have to say that buying an apartment here in Hong Kong is almost impossible in my generation (20-30s) without family aid. This series is quite on point, has a deep insight on the actual problems going on in Hong Kong. Another thing that's worth mentioning is that we have mainland China people coming over to Hong Kong (150 quota/EVERYDAY) and this causes a huge problem in the long run. I am sure big cities like New York or Sydney or London are facing the same issue but people can choose to live uptown or suburb areas to reduce housing cost. Here we do not have a choice. Everywhere in HK is basically downtown area.
In London itself, the mainland Chinese are buying up luxury flats faster than you can count too. There's also a difference between migrants who come and rent a flat, and the Chinese nouveau-rich who can afford to 'invest' in flats by buying them up and leaving them empty, which adds further pressure to the housing supply.
Hannah Hui Yes migrants are renting flats, affordable housing for the people of London. If they are renting it that means that another family cannot, considering the amount of migration to Britain (net 100,000+ per annum) Its kind of a huge issue that seems to be overlooked by most ‘socialists’ and Labour.
Housing is a problem in every big city. Not just the migrants, even local from other cities will go London (considering London is the only metropolis in the UK) to seek jobs and better opportunities.
Connor I don't actually understand your stance, as your comments seem to contradict each other. Do you think that people complaining there isn't enough housing are justified or not?
this is the best "tiny living" video ive seen, all the other ones ive seen just talk about how neat and innovative capsule homes are and don't address the fact that people shouldn't be forced to live like that at all
It’s a difference between tiny homes and living cramped because you are too poor to pay ... 🤦♀️ 😂 living in a tiny house or apartment is really great but if you do it by choice and are educated enough to know how to organise yourself
As a Hker , i really really appreciate the work you have done on your series about HK . Thank you for letting the world know more about our problems. Hong Kong has controversies over everything and I have to say that these videos are still not enough to explain these complicated issues. To everyone else , your understanding on these issues would help us a lot
@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?
As a person living in there, this is indeed a huge problem, and the prices ain’t gonna fall. If they do, salaries fall even more and cause more problems, therefore: when housing prices rise, you lose, when they fall, you also lose
Jesus Vasquez Actually living in New Territories is not a solution. New towns there also have unreachable housing price. It's just less serious in comparison. You might say that "Ughh, they could just drive a car and live in rural areas...". People are already in a tough life, how could they afford a car? Living in rural areas costs a lot and is very inconvenient on daily commute and it is not really a friendly option for the poor.
It’s so sad seeing that guy living in a tiny place that costs him $267 US per month while in my country Indonesia, we’re able to get a nice and comfy apartment with only $150 US. This makes me so grateful living here.
@@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.
welcome to capitalistic world. Anything that isn't profitable to companies gets abandoned. People living normal lives, earning a normal wage is not profitable, people suffering on the other hand is
Lol that's life! Before the modern world humans spent their days looking for food, water, growing crops, building their huts etc etc. There will never be a world where people get to just sit around and do whatever they want. You must work and fight to survive.
@Hasi Mausi the problem in Hong Kong is not capitalism. Capitalism would solve their problem overnight. If they allowed the private ownership of land then developers would come in immediately and start building apartments left and right especially with the high cost of rent in Hong Kong. What would happen is all the new apartments would saturate the market and drive down rent to more affordable prices and give people a place to live. What hong kong is doing is the exact opposite of capitalism. The government seizing and owning private property is not a capitalist policy.
With respect, the reason all those people put up with the terrible living conditions in Hong Kong is because there are far more jobs there then in other regions of the world or even China for that matter
@@jerrykwon8837 By "house" did you mean "home"? With respect, while those 2 words are frequently used interchangeably they have very different meanings. A house only refers to a building that is usually at most only 1 or 2 floors high that is not a tower or skyscraper. Most houses are built to have enough space to hold one family comfortably inside them. Like a mansion would be a house but even a luxury condo would not be a house. A home can be anywhere that a person lives (house, condo, apartment, factory dormitory, boat, cave, etcetera.) Housing is a word thats used mostly by governments to describe how many places there are for people to live within a given region (like the government of the city of Vancouver might discuss how the city needs more affordable housing in order for the city's citizens to have afforable places to live.)
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.
i lived in a small caravan for 3 years by choice and found it so difficult but at least I had sunlight, I can't imagine what these people are forced to live in.
I'm a Hong Konger. And this video made me realize, again, how lucky I am. I feel absolutely disgusted by these. I don't know how many times I've seen homeless people living on the doorstep of abandoned shops. And, there are plenty of buildings that have vacant rooms to be bought. They're just too expensive. I just hope they fix this problem soon.
I live in California United States and was homeless for 4 years I live with my boyfriend and baby in my mom's house because Rent is too high and pay too low.
It's difficult. And the solution to this provided by the government is to build more public housing. It doesn't solve the problem. The government ignores the crux of the matter(btw i am also a hker)
Dude this brings a whole different perspective to that game I used to play in the bathroom as a kid where I’d imagine what it’d be like to just live within that single room, although usually the scenario was more something like an apocalypse where the bathroom was the only safe place in the house rather than as a result of unaffordable housing
@@Professor_Brie yea and I used to imagine the trickling little bit of shower water is the only water that's available and we need to save every drop of water (≧▽≦)
@@Professor_Brie As a child I had a very detailed tiny home plan that fit everything I liked in my toilet (room) and used the window as a door. (Maybe that was because my parents did not let me lock my room and the toilet was the only available lockable room for me. X-D)
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
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.
@@Testikeles Bro you should not do this. You dont know why was he asking.
Get your rat out
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.
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
It's heartbreaking to see children living in such conditions.
The parents made that choice.
The parents did not choose this.
Not the adults, just the kids?
@IdeaGrazer It's not really that simple.
@@Stonefactor Oh? Everything is a choice. Life is a choice.
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.
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 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.
@@peacefulTx 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.
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.
@James Vigor 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
you actually predicted it
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...
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
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
My heart broke seeing that little boy living in the cage home. No child should have to grow up like that 💔
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
This looks like the world's most expensive slum...
Thank you, next HK and the chinese government breathing down your necks. 😔
@@påmarkunmarkku 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
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?
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
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.
@@amredswordcalice23 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 :/
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 ;(
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.
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
-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
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?
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
My heart goes out to everyone of you. I can't imagine what it's like without electricity or an exhaust fan
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
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.
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.
just add more space by installing galvanized square steel and eco friendly wood vanier and screws from your aunt
The comment I've been looking for
Dax
where does this comment come from? why do so many people say this same thing??
@@stant7122 from memes like that
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
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
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. 😂
Those rooms made me realise that I’ve been taking my own little house for granted 💀
Same 😮
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
"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.
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 wish nothing but the best to those people. I hope it gets better
When I was doing business in HK 3 years ago it was heartbreaking to see the extreme gap between the haves and have nots. I once saw a very old man struggling to pull a cart up a steep road - collecting recyclables to make living. It was stinking hot. He had ripped shorts, no shirt and very old shoes. His back was permanently bent out of shape. No one even looked at him. I helped him with the cart. It was heartbreaking. These mini documentaries are so important. Thank you.
Thank you for helping the old man
NYC is like that as well.
sitdowndogbreath No it's not. Coming from a NYC resident.
Nathan, I'm from NYC as well, you should look harder. I've seen people like this described above. Maybe not as many, but it's a problem in every major city.
I think Asia is properly the worse place for old people to live ..same thing in South Korea
Besides being cramped, it’s probably not that sanitary, either. I wonder if any of them really get any sleep as it looks so uncomfortable. Safety is a big issue, especially if a fire were to start. It’s a shame that these people must live in such horrid conditions. I pray that things will improve for them.
This makes me so grateful for my small house. I must stop taking all that I have for granted. Videos like this are great reminders.
They definitely are😔 I complain that iv been in the same apartment 8 years an I want to upgrade but it's huge an I have my own patio and a little yard that's all mine and that's rare for an apt.... I complain that my car is broken but I have a friend that barrows me his beautiful truck anytime I need it!! I need to realize I have so much to be grateful for and just keep thanking God for every blessing he's given me 💜
Yes. My 1500 sq ft is downright palatial. Be grateful for what you've got is my take away from this video.
They are indeed a great reminder to be thankful for the space we have here. I would rather be anywhere than in one of those tiny spaces.
It really is not. And it’s not safe, either. If a house fire were to happen, chances are no one would be able to escape in time
I feel you.
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!
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.
After watching this I actually felt very rich and blessed.
you forgot to type *felt*
@@kh4nkashif3 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.
This brought back dark times in my childhood when my mom lost her job and the two of us including my big sister had to live in friend of moms garage for about 5 months. Looking at how whole families live in those spaces for years makes me feel ever more grateful
Hope your mother is going well now
My childhood living in public groceries store toilet.
@@Tom78777 YES! Thank you for asking
Landlord evicted my single mom with 5 kids because his sister wanted to be there and we ended up living 7 months in tents
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’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.
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.
Please never cancel this series I love it so much
yeah I hope they make a season 2, the country seems to have so many interesting aspects
i'd really like to see him go to some other countries in future seasons. Spain would be cool
Same for some reason I found this very interesting
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 am overwhelmed by how people can live, adapt and continue. My home is so big…
I remember visiting one of my aunts and uncles in Hong Kong a few years ago.
They had a small apartment with 2 small bedrooms, a small kitchen, a shower without a tub or that shower box thingy, and a small living room. The entire apartment combined is probably smaller than my family’s living room in Edmonton Canada.
Then I realized that they were actually really wealthy...
Yeah something has to change. I can’t imagine the living conditions of the average citizen in Hong Kong with such small living spaces.
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!
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.
9:05 - Thanks for throwing in a random jump scare that made it seem like you suddenly had to evacuate that capsule! 😂
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 ???
I have family in Hong Kong, that are now recently being forced to move back to the UK due to these extortionate prices, even with full time banking jobs.
Just curious, as they came from the UK originally, does China retaking HK from the UK have any role in them leaving?
@@jasonroy1047 yeah i curious about that
@@jasonroy1047 As someone in exactly the same position as AT80 Beats described, I can answer that. Yes.... Well it's one of many things, but probably the either most or second most important reason for people leaving.
I doubt it because that happened in 1997
Elaine W it wasn’t a problem before. Then 2014 happened...
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
😂😂
Congratulations. Excellent delivery, arguments to the point, clear, without excessive paraphernalia!
I'm a hongkonger and this is true. We use our entire life to pay the mortgage for our tiny apartment, we don't call that living but survive, even our life were so hard but we wont forget who we are.
Gm Z they have concentration camps in china, i doubt they can do that :/
Gm Z Because our system is designed and manipulated in a way that prevents the opposition from being elected.
@@mingzmings88 they're definitely gonna get jailed ... China not gonna let them off
So horrible and sad
Middle class descendents like me get to live in a mortgage free home. Feels a bit privileged for doing so.
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.
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
Your cinematography is awesome dude
I can’t Imagine being very sick and living in a small cage. Just horrible
and that is also one of the reasons why SARS spread so quickly in these areas in 2003
Now u know how other animals feel
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.
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...
As a Hong Konger, I have to admit I live in a house that cost 1.58 million USD and is just a medium sized apartment for 4 people.
I would be so afraid to live in a house that high and without any room; imagine one of the lower floors catches fire; i think its not even that unlikely considering how many people are squeezed in there...
Same I was also thinking that 😐
Just one overlooked meal on the oven
Also earthquakes too...
@@erina2600 speaking from experience. There is no oven in most hk apartments. Earthquakes are very rare. But yeah the situation is anxiety provoking.
same thought. very dangerous
i visited some family friends in hong kong like 10 years ago. I never understood the city looked like this, as they lived in a huge luxurious apartment, which i thought everyone did as i was 8 at the time. This is pretty shocking.
There's an extreme disparity between the rich and the poor in HK
My uncle lived for quite a while in Hong Kong, heading the Asian market of a big company. He always returned over the winter holidays and one year my family borrowed his apartment for few days (we were visiting my sister who was in Thailand as a volunteer). It was fairly spacey, high up in the richer parts of Hong Kong.
@@lckjasmine "highest economic freedom" there's the reason for that disparity 😔
I lived in Shanghai for a while in a studio apartment about the size of a single room at the Holiday Inn. Oh, and this coincided with COVID, so I had to quarantine there. It nearly drove me out of my mind. Yet that apartment would've been a luxury to these people. It just goes to show what happens when governments care more about businesses than about people.
Precisely
I have a friend who lives in Shanghai. She wants a cat so much, but she lives in one room that she rents from someone and feels like it's too small for a cat. That makes me so sad! I have 6 cats. One of them is her "honorary cat". I never asked her how much that one small room costs her each month....probably quite a lot.
Almost like... capitalism is a bad idea
Capitalism in Hong Kong...
They literally say in the video this is due to government policy
140 Sq.Ft room in london costs £700+
My heart goes out to this people, especially to those old guys and the kid with ADHD.
42 years ago???🧐😳
How long ago
but the old people wanted it like that, don't be sad for the old people. be sad for the young people like the kids with adhd who has a lazy mother that can't even provide for her son properly. what an awful mother that is. i hope one day lazy people will be banned from having children. only hard working people should be allowed to have kids, that way the kids will have everything they need and don't have to suffer from their parents laziness
@@yoshtg How about you go work and come home to a cramped place that gives you breathing problems and we can call you lazy when you struggle long-term with housing prices more expensive than in the United States.
@@yoshtg I agree with you. In a country like India poor people keep having children. They are just burden to the economy.
these capsule homes and cage homes are like not meant for living they're more like places to sleep or rest in between your work like i cant imagine staying there for a whole day
Honestly the capsule homes should be in many places, but rentable for idk, a night or week, not as a normal way, it should be for drivers and tourists going long ways by car, not by people working every day and returning to this
@@eeeguba432 they seem really dangerous though. It’s very easy to be locked in or assaulted, not to mention, fire risks and the myriad of health risks
i do know that capsule homes and popular in japan. you can rent them instead of going to a hotel or smth or the sort
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.
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 can't even imagine how hard this is for people with certain disabilites or elderly people who have trouble bending down etc. Horrible.
its a death sentence or a painful existence
My mother has severe arthritis. She would not be able to survive living in conditions such as this☹️
Right, this is slow torturing. Physically and mentally. I would be so depressing and lost my mind 😥
Life is not fair
There is a HK movie named 笼民 which is a real event and more horrible .
Back when I was homeless (for a few years), I was able to rent a small closet from someone for around $150 per month for about 6 months. It was actually a bit smaller than the cage homes in this video, but I can certainly relate and empathize with the people in Hong Kong who are living this way. Aside from the obvious inconveniences, it also does a number on your psychological state. I always felt like I was "almost" a human being, but just slightly less than one. . .
I am so sorry you had to go through that. Hopefully life is better for you now.
Done that myself, was renting a "room" that was smaller than most of the apartments shown in the video, and it was rough because you just love in such a small camped up space, hardly enough to fit a bed, I didn't even have space for a desk or table. I was paying full rent for it too (the rent for the unit was split 6 ways)
@@Gothiqueluv Thank you for your kind words!
When you have gone through such hardships in life you come out strong. And that strength serves you better than any amount of money. Best of luck to your future :)
@@SunsingerDarkdrinker - I appreciate that. Thank you!
I am local and I have to say that buying an apartment here in Hong Kong is almost impossible in my generation (20-30s) without family aid. This series is quite on point, has a deep insight on the actual problems going on in Hong Kong. Another thing that's worth mentioning is that we have mainland China people coming over to Hong Kong (150 quota/EVERYDAY) and this causes a huge problem in the long run. I am sure big cities like New York or Sydney or London are facing the same issue but people can choose to live uptown or suburb areas to reduce housing cost. Here we do not have a choice. Everywhere in HK is basically downtown area.
Justin Chan In london, they receive many more migrants than that, and yet left wing people complain there isn’t enough housing...
In London itself, the mainland Chinese are buying up luxury flats faster than you can count too. There's also a difference between migrants who come and rent a flat, and the Chinese nouveau-rich who can afford to 'invest' in flats by buying them up and leaving them empty, which adds further pressure to the housing supply.
Hannah Hui Yes migrants are renting flats, affordable housing for the people of London. If they are renting it that means that another family cannot, considering the amount of migration to Britain (net 100,000+ per annum) Its kind of a huge issue that seems to be overlooked by most ‘socialists’ and Labour.
Housing is a problem in every big city. Not just the migrants, even local from other cities will go London (considering London is the only metropolis in the UK) to seek jobs and better opportunities.
Connor I don't actually understand your stance, as your comments seem to contradict each other. Do you think that people complaining there isn't enough housing are justified or not?
These buildings from outside look fantastic but the insides are depressing
this is the best "tiny living" video ive seen, all the other ones ive seen just talk about how neat and innovative capsule homes are and don't address the fact that people shouldn't be forced to live like that at all
It’s a difference between tiny homes and living cramped because you are too poor to pay ... 🤦♀️ 😂 living in a tiny house or apartment is really great but if you do it by choice and are educated enough to know how to organise yourself
As a Hker , i really really appreciate the work you have done on your series about HK . Thank you for letting the world know more about our problems. Hong Kong has controversies over everything and I have to say that these videos are still not enough to explain these complicated issues. To everyone else , your understanding on these issues would help us a lot
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?
As a person living in there, this is indeed a huge problem, and the prices ain’t gonna fall. If they do, salaries fall even more and cause more problems, therefore: when housing prices rise, you lose, when they fall, you also lose
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
As a Hong konger , I am very thankful that comment here are all caring, hope that our future will be better
jasmine kong hope so
i am just really curious , why never try to move out ? it is not hard to move out to other country compare to last decade
vector b because most of people who lives in small flats are elderly who don't have money to move to other countries
You know you can move to the new territories right?
Jesus Vasquez Actually living in New Territories is not a solution. New towns there also have unreachable housing price. It's just less serious in comparison. You might say that "Ughh, they could just drive a car and live in rural areas...". People are already in a tough life, how could they afford a car? Living in rural areas costs a lot and is very inconvenient on daily commute and it is not really a friendly option for the poor.
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
Slightly better than the dorms I lived when I was an undergraduate in China.
Those "high tech and hygenic" capsules are so bizarre feeling. Its like a dystopian sci-fi concept
True. Felt the same.
They have similar capsules as spaces to rent in many hostels around the world in expensive urban cities like Tokyo.
it's better than the cage homes I guess
5th Element movie
feels like a spaceship
It’s so sad seeing that guy living in a tiny place that costs him $267 US per month while in my country Indonesia, we’re able to get a nice and comfy apartment with only $150 US. This makes me so grateful living here.
Indira Julisha wow, that’s really inexpensive.
Indira Julisha lol ikr
Mr Penguin not true at all did you not watch the video?
Jakarta? While one could obtain a rentroom in major East Java cities at 30 percent of that budget
Well my rent for a comfy place is $1300 - renting is always terribleee
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.
@@カスカディア国人 is your username a JoJo reference?
This is so sad it break my heart to see people go through this
I like how despite the living conditions of these people, you could tell the interviewer was still being respectful
Why would someone's living conditions have anything to do with the level of respect an interviewer would pay them?
coronavirus disease * cough * good thing he isn’t pat of Fox News...their interviewer literally laughed at elderly cuz they can’t speak english
@@mcguinnessqueen You'd be surprised how entitled and rude people can be.
What is he going to do ? Hit the man ? ... It is sad that we have to watch this, and not be able to do a single thing.
I'm a journalism student, and you guys would be surprised at the amount of entitlement some reporters can show
So sad yo know that people spend most of their lives waiting for a better quality of life and just working to survive and struggling daily....
Same in Europe. But yes. Horrible
That’s late stage capitalism baby
welcome to capitalistic world. Anything that isn't profitable to companies gets abandoned. People living normal lives, earning a normal wage is not profitable, people suffering on the other hand is
Lol that's life! Before the modern world humans spent their days looking for food, water, growing crops, building their huts etc etc. There will never be a world where people get to just sit around and do whatever they want. You must work and fight to survive.
@Hasi Mausi the problem in Hong Kong is not capitalism. Capitalism would solve their problem overnight. If they allowed the private ownership of land then developers would come in immediately and start building apartments left and right especially with the high cost of rent in Hong Kong. What would happen is all the new apartments would saturate the market and drive down rent to more affordable prices and give people a place to live. What hong kong is doing is the exact opposite of capitalism. The government seizing and owning private property is not a capitalist policy.
I am little poor , but after seeing this ....
My village is better :\
For real man
With respect, the reason all those people put up with the terrible living conditions in Hong Kong is because there are far more jobs there then in other regions of the world or even China for that matter
!? But the salary is low. Literally 13,000 is the average salary, and 13,000 is the rent for a decent house with a lift
@@jerrykwon8837
By "house" did you mean "home"? With respect, while those 2 words are frequently used interchangeably they have very different meanings. A house only refers to a building that is usually at most only 1 or 2 floors high that is not a tower or skyscraper. Most houses are built to have enough space to hold one family comfortably inside them. Like a mansion would be a house but even a luxury condo would not be a house.
A home can be anywhere that a person lives (house, condo, apartment, factory dormitory, boat, cave, etcetera.)
Housing is a word thats used mostly by governments to describe how many places there are for people to live within a given region (like the government of the city of Vancouver might discuss how the city needs more affordable housing in order for the city's citizens to have afforable places to live.)
@@jerrykwon8837 a year right ? Not monthly ?
6:20 the Bentley cruising past solidifying what you’re saying about taxes 😆
that looks like a disaster waiting to happen in the case of a fire
That's exactly what I was thinking and it's so scary .
@Cloudy Silver earthquakes are really rare in Hong Kong.
Let a fire happen?! And the disaster that would ensue - especially with no clear emergency exits
There is also a good incentive that doesn't happen because depending on how big is the fire... THAT IS REVOLUTION TIME!
So basically the next kaiju attack.
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
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
i lived in a small caravan for 3 years by choice and found it so difficult but at least I had sunlight, I can't imagine what these people are forced to live in.
I can’t imagine how these places smell
Gas masks not included
Febreze sold separately
I guess you’d get used to it
Like cheese
Isn't Hong Kong generally hot and humid? It must be awful.
Guess not to bad
I'm a Hong Konger. And this video made me realize, again, how lucky I am.
I feel absolutely disgusted by these. I don't know how many times I've seen homeless people living on the doorstep of abandoned shops.
And, there are plenty of buildings that have vacant rooms to be bought. They're just too expensive.
I just hope they fix this problem soon.
As a Hong Kong student, by the time I graduate I’ll be lucky to move in a nice home when I save up enough. Which is probably when I’m sixty
I live in California United States and was homeless for 4 years I live with my boyfriend and baby in my mom's house because Rent is too high and pay too low.
Yeah good luck with that. No one is fixing anything.
@@garyhenderson7332 China isn't America. They actually do fix stuff.
It's difficult. And the solution to this provided by the government is to build more public housing. It doesn't solve the problem. The government ignores the crux of the matter(btw i am also a hker)
Dude this brings a whole different perspective to that game I used to play in the bathroom as a kid where I’d imagine what it’d be like to just live within that single room, although usually the scenario was more something like an apocalypse where the bathroom was the only safe place in the house rather than as a result of unaffordable housing
We're soul mates I've always done that literally oh my goddddddddddddd
@@raventriste2012 Oh my gosh some one else actually did it too it wasn’t just me
@@Professor_Brie yea and I used to imagine the trickling little bit of shower water is the only water that's available and we need to save every drop of water (≧▽≦)
That's the thing though-- for them this IS the apocalypse
@@Professor_Brie As a child I had a very detailed tiny home plan that fit everything I liked in my toilet (room) and used the window as a door. (Maybe that was because my parents did not let me lock my room and the toilet was the only available lockable room for me. X-D)