@@kakonthebed taxation on unoccupied residential properties could minimise the practice however like most things many will find work arounds. Also, at some point governments couldn't care less about property hoarding as they benefit from the flow of money through their countries.
Humans have always been this low and we will never get better. This has been going on since civilisations began. Rich vs Poor. Slaves VS Masters. Royalty Vs peasants. Emperors VS citizens.. It will only get worst over the next 2 decades with how many more rich people there are now. Look at NYC. The amount of empty sky scrapers. Or Sky scrapers that have only 4 residents.
How governments deal with poor living conditions is pure genius. It's like if you go to the doctor for hemorrhoids, and the cure it by making hemorrhoids illegal
@@russelltalker Yeah, I agree. I was actually homeless myself at one point, and I can say, from personal experience, that it's difficult to get back up on your feet if you have a criminal record. Criminalizing homelessness is actually a great way to make sure that people remain homeless.
@@Hollyucinogen Same here friend. I was homeless and destitute and got caught shoplifting. Pleaded guilty with suspended sentence and now I can't get a job. Which before was never a problem for me. And people don't understand until they experience it that the day you become homeless, you are almost like not a person anymore. You become invisible and worthless to both strangers and those who you thought had your back. It was the biggest eye opener of my life and I will never look at people or society the same way again. Hard truths come hard
This is why in Europe countries like Portugal, Spain and even UK are changing laws. In Portugal you can only buy if youre gonna be living in there, you cant invest if you dont live in the country to rent it or keep it empty. All empty real estate must be rented out or sold.
Oh, polititians in Portugal must not be corrupt as much. The same law is needed here in South Korea and everywhere else. I will share this with as many people as possible. Thank you.
It must be everywhere. We are not talking about that citizens care if the owners will pay taxes,but so many places everywhere stays empty. I know people with even few apartments,some furnished and they stay like that and the person often lives abroad
@@corporatedemocrat Also another thing being done is you wont be able to rent your house for short term rentals like airbnb, all tourists need to go to proper hotels and certified accomodations. Airbnb will be over. Houses must be rented to locals or sold to locals.
I come from the ghettos in America. I’ve been shot at, stabbed, had to legit go car hopping to get money for food when I was a kid, it was sad. I’d rather go through all of that again than live the life these people are having to face. This is ridiculously horrible.
Right? I have a three bedroom trailer, it’s mine and I don’t owe a dime on it. I own the home but still pay 900 per month just for the small lot it sits on. South Florida. Very grateful for what my family has.
This really put a lot of things into perspective for me. I’m sorry for Anytime I have been ungrateful, lazy, etc. there’s someone somewhere wishing they had my two bedroom that I take for granted. My heart goes to these people. Also I have newfound respect for their culture in general. These are strong folk. The part where it mentioned that a lot of them are waiting and hoping they qualify for government assistance for housing while living under the poverty line, reminds me of the struggles that my people face. People are on waiting list for housing assistance for 5+years. Oh dear God please bless these people and their struggles.
Yes well i have another take on it, I started work/study at 16yrs old and am now 54yr old with 4 homes, my main house is 650m square with 3 kitchens, I work 12hrs a day 7 days a week for half a year, and I have seen so many lazy people I don't care about this crap.
I realize at this time more people out of jobs which don't pay enough for housing, but why would anyone try for 5 years to get in public housing when they can work for their own apt, etc., it hasn't always been so hard and I can't see myself waiting five years for public housing without doing something to help myself get out of the government tit
@@kathylarson8876 when you are placed on the waiting list for help from the government, you still have to maintain your current housing status or try to do better. Some people end up being able to get their own apartment but a lot of people still fall through the cracks during that time. People should be able to afford where they live. Also, when you do get approved for housing, you are still obligated to pay bills…. During that wait period people often are saving so that when they get a place they have some money to pay the bills.
@@mohammadwasilliterate8037 hello, im glad to hear you have been able to accumulate assets for yourself. That is very inspiring to hear. What is your take on inflation during these times? $1 in the 1950’s was equivalent to $13 dollars in today. It’s gotten to the point where I’ve been complacent with just buying a condo/apartment instead of an actual house because $400k is a lot of money
I live in Dubai and that shared type of house/box house is so popular that it's almost becoming the norm for expats from poor countries. Rent prices are so high so this is the only thing people can afford, most of them send money to their families back home. The situation back home is worse that's why we endure it. The only thing stopping me from renting a "box" like this is that I don't have responsibilities back home. I spend most of my salary on a room rent in a shared apartment but most days I can't afford a single proper meal. Most of us work in service in the lavish buildings you see in pictures. That's why cities like Dubai are actually disgusting. Late stage capitalism has absolutely failed us.
But socialism hasn't really been very successful either. The same thing happens. Wealthy powerful people get to dictate to everyone and keep everything to themselves. Socialism doesn't fix that. Look at China and North Korea, not what any of us would want.
Exactly! Everyone goes on about "Capitalism is so corrupt blah blah blah" yet why do so many people want to flee communist regimes where socialism is enforced? Socialism hasnt proven to be any better why do you think the BIGGEST socialist country collapsed? All the marxist jargon about "classes" in capitalism is ridiculous. There will always be the elite and top 1% in societies. Its unfortunate but true. What changes it isnt "socialist ideology" but systematic changes in quality of life, lack of nepotism, etc. Alot of people who are so gung ho about "socialism" have never had to live in that environment. Why do you think those countries have so many massive internal protests? Corrupt officials, a ONE party state where you can only vote for ONE political party (in the Soviet union elections where held frequently where only ONE candidate would be on the ballot) the lack of freedom to be able to speak about anything not pro government, and major lack of human rights seem to go hand in hand in socialist countries. Capitalism has it's issues of course but socialism is not a better solution, it's the same do with a different master. Stalin's Communist regime killed more people then hitler did do your research.
this is definitely true...i have been living in Hong Kong for almost 2 decades and I've seen unfortunate Hongkongers who doesn't have a choice but to live in this difficult environment.
What's absolutely disgusting is that this doesn't have to be how it is... there is plenty of land they could develop but the government refuses because they want to keep demand up to keep prices up 😢
I've been there a few times, travelling across the border from China. There are areas outside the urban sprawl of the city where it would be possible to build new homes. They also have plenty of mountainous terrain that could be used for creating new land by taking the stone there and making artificial islands. I think they're already starting to do something like this, and judging by the fact that they had to build their new airport on such a structure, shows they have the skills to do so. However, the cost of this, and the environmental impact, will be crazy. Perhaps it might be time to stop rich people from buying up properties that are left sitting there doing nothing. This isn't a Hong Kong specific issue though. It's a global one. Humans are such greedy creatures when we get down to the nitty-gritty of it. It's disgusting.
i dont think ruining nature anymore is the answer. i do think its time to start thinking about over population and a way to stop it. honestly. the one child will do rule will help alot... just not how they did it
@@shauncameron8390Yeah, because stupid chinese were often doing abortions when they found out the fetus is girl, as they wanted to have ,,a son of the family". And while abortions are good in total, normal medic procedure, they should ban it, if the reason is the sex of the fetus. If they were not doing this, the one child policy could still be a very great tool to stop this sick country from getting more and more people in overpopulated country, where a single person is not even a 0,0000000000000001% of the population.
I agree with his statement, Hong Kong is definitely not short of land, it's just very poor land management by the government. There is more industrial and commercial zones than residential, which drives the price up, not to mention investors from the mainland, Hong Kong is a literal money mine for them.
We're unfortunately seeing this happen all over the world. Millions of homeless while buildings sit empty, millions starve while fresh food rots on the street for being a day old. Greed has to be one of the worst traits people can have. It ruins the Earth.
Superb docu. Really shining a light into the lives of ordinary folks in Hong Kong and their struggles. This problem has gone on for far too long and yet here we are.
People amazed at this situation. You know that millions of US truck drivers live in, sleep in , bunks smaller than this. No bathroom, no sink, no toilet, .
@@AndreiMitrica-i3l I’m a truck driver, are you? So I can speak on this topic. Do you honestly think a truck driver would prefer sleeping in their truck over their own bed at home? 🏠. Doesn’t take a mind reader to have common sense 👍
@@Mrmudbone_gaming majority of people live in the state they're born in or graduate college from, not because they want to, but because they can't afford to move. their entire network is local and leaving would mean starting over, finding work without their support system and borrowing money to establish themselves.
Very interesting what the guy talks about at around 7 and a half minutes in - the idea of wealthy people buying apartments as "investments" and then simply leaving them empty because it doesn't matter to them whether they're occupied or not, or that other people are living in squalid conditions. This is a story similar to what I've heard in many other countries and is perhaps shaping up to be one of the more disgusting and pathetic failures of 21st century global capitalism.
That's the story of most mega cities, London, New York etc. New apartment blocks are going up and the wealthy snap them up with no intent for occupation. This is capitalism at its lowest.
@@redgringrumboldt8983 For the rich ones yes,but for example here in Bulgaria is the same,no matter capital or other region has many empty places or abandoned old buildings and houses and government doesnt do anything to privatise them. In some cities at least 40 percent of the buildings are empty all year. People dont give it for rent or booking and they dont come here even summer time. Many people has minimum 1 apartment that stays empty
Oh yes! Capitalism is the problem. Because there is not HUGE example of this problem in a communist society and economy. Open and shut. Chain seem ideal now I can’t wait to give up my freedom!
We wouldn't allow are animals to live like this. I don't see it better than being homeless, so many are ill. The quality of air alone must be so bad. The conditions are squalid , toilets next to food prep areas. No windows. This is as dismal as it gets. People should not have to live this way !
@@dianneperry840 Having any kind of roof over your head, instead of being exposed to the dangers of being outside and the elements is much better. Nobody should have to live like this no, but I'd rather have a box room than nothing at all.
I stumbled across your channel because I was looking for a documentary on Cambodia. I then ended up watching all your documentaries. Really interesting and unique stories of which I haven’t heard of and I am a bit of a current affairs junkie. Are you guys reporters or journalists? I watched a similar documentary on homeless people in Hong Kong and it was mainly the older generation that had been forgotten. It’s really sad, seeing an Asian country ignore it’s senior citizens because usually they are well respected in the family. Thanks you for bringing insightful stories to open our eyes and minds and understanding the world a little better. Love and light ♥️❤️🫶🏻.
This is nuts. Modern society is causing such a mess. Not just in China but all around the world. The last statement made in this video is so true. The main thing I learned from this life is that it's not fair.
Life is cruel and unfair, but it doesn’t have to be like that. If governments etc were not so greedy and selfish, we could actually support each other, and give everyone the basic things we all need, food, water, and a safe place to live. The older I get, the more infuriated I become by this selfish world. He top 1% world’s wealthiest, COULD do so much for the poorest, and still be in that top 1% of wealth, but they never will.
As a Hong Konger, this is pretty well researched and the interviews are pretty well conducted, the only problem I have are the translations of the Cantonese conversations - the rough gist is there, but the translations miss a lot of details. In Hong Kong, housing like these (coffin houses, Subdivided flat aka boxed houses) are more like an open secret. Old buildings with subdivided flats (Tong lau) are present even in the most popular shopping areas e.g. mongkok, which is also shown in the video. Everyone knows them, everyone sees them - we just don't talk about it. It's almost like we subconsciously acknowledged them as necessary conditions for HK's (previously) thriving economy. A big reason for the expensive housing is limited land - almost 40% of HK's land are country parks and legally you are not allowed to build there. There was/is hot debate about whether real estates agent should be allowed to build residential buildings on some country park land. Truth to be told, it was as Tommy Ho stated in the video - government holds onto "vacant" land for more profitable land deals and buildings, thus pushing out grass root. The worst part: this is going to become more common. Survey reveals 40% of Hong Kong young people consider themselves poor (Source: phys.org). A report by Oxfam in 2022 found the pandemic worsened Hong Kong’s wealth gap, with the richest residents making almost 50 times as much as the poorest in the first quarter of 2022. One of the largest industry of Hong Kong is tourism, and it has basically been killed by the protests, pandemic and CCP crackdown and oppression. The economy is worsening. The city's mental health is worsening to the point of multiple (lethal) stabbing incidents (previously rare in HK). If you thought this video is grim, it's grimmer in reality. For many of us, the only hope is leaving the country. Not everyone has that privilege.
Funny how the parts of China, which haven't been enslaved and brainwashed by the UK / West for decades, are doing a million times better. Virtually no homeless people, everyone has a REAL apartment in mainland China, low crime, incredibly safe and people love their lives. But yeah, keep blaming the CPC (or "CCP" as the brainwashed folks call them) for everything. It's not the CPC who turned Hong Kong into a money laundering place for the global ruling-class and kicked out the native people from the better parts of Hong Kong. It was the western invaders who did this. And it's not the CPC who brought unrest and instability to Hong Kong, it was the western ruling-class' media propaganda and psychological-operations that tried to trigger a violent "color revolution" to weaken China's overall stability. Blame your destructive former master who's still influencing you.
As someone who grew up on Hong Kong action movies of the 80s and 90s, that's a pretty sad comment to read. I know those were just movies, but it seemed a more vibrant and prosperous place back then. I miss buying household items and finding "Made in Hong Kong" stickers on them. Australia too wants be a services based economy by the looks of things. Fortunately there are other sectors that help.
Its interesting to see that the people living on farms and working there look more educated and wealthy/healthy as those living in the big city. Usually its vice versa
I worked for a chinese restaurant where the owner housed all 12 illegal Mexican kitchen hands in a one bedroom apartment. He was helping and abusing at the same time. Puts the immigration issue into perspective.
I'l tell you from experience, not having sunlight messes with your head to the verge of brain damage, at least it feels like that. I used to live in tiny basement rooms in NYC without windows for many years in my 20's and at first I was resilient but after a few years I started waking up feeling like my brain wasn't awake and I'd get these weird quasi-headaches, it made it really hard to concentrate some days, and a bunch of days around the end of that stint I looked like a zombie coming out of there my skin got all pale and I had really dark rings around my eyes like I was a meth head or something, and felt all messed up, I think I lost a potential job w a guy I knew because I ran into him one of those days and I think that he suspected I was on drugs or something. Anyways, it is illegal in NYC for a reason, but definitely exists all over the place, I used to live cramped in w 5 people in a basement just one toilet and a disgusting shared fridge and toaster oven. We had a guy from Morocco in there, guy from Mexico I think, one girl who was definitely mentally ill, and another guy who had Asperger's syndrome or something and would yell to himself and didn't interact with anybody. Just one layer of drywall and a cheap little door, it was like living in a closet with no privacy at all, you could hear everything. Landlord only spoke Spanish and took money in cash only. And there were definitely bed bugs though I didn't know what they looked like at the time, I have no idea how I didn't transmit them to my other places. Also have no idea how I was able to hit it with a girl in there but it happened. That place was so crazy lol glad I'm out of there A lot of Americans don't understand the reality of city life, especially the mouse and roach and rat problems I left out above, which spill into the other better housing so its a perpetual problem. Mice literally swarmed any food I brought in there if I left it in the room alone with them. It would be completely gone after a few hours in there alone. Mice diving out of the garbage can in the bathroom when you wake up to take a piss at night. Roaches all over everything. Its hurdles like this that I don't think people from outside the cities don't recognize, and thus they interpret the problems in American cities as being less serious than they actually are and don't invest properly in the maintenance of the cities and aid to the population, we are losing a lot of talent that way not to mention making peoples lives suck and making everywhere risky to go because of crime
@@pirateslifeforme What are you one of those dudes trying to prove how New York is so mismanaged and all red states are doing it better? I loved NY, though I have been through some crazy circumstances, I got myself into those. NY offers opportunity to people at the very bottom level, just trying to convey how crazy things get at the bottom level, some people persevere, but the fact that modern societies let things get so crazy for people at the bottom is pretty messed up, and to fix those problems in American cities, we need federal money, because people jam into cities from all over the country, and a lot of those people are driven there by states which are mismanaged, or full of racists/transphobes/homophobes who block people out from economic participation and, although they are obviously too dumb to realize what they are doing, essentially attempt to transform the cities into concentration camps for their unwanted. There should be a federal law where if anybody claims to be a "refugee" from another state, the state that accepts them in is entitled to a fine from the state which drove them out. Those person won't get that money, only the state will, so there is no incentive to game the system, but it will incentivize the states who are just pushing their problems onto other states, or actively creating problems, to clean up their act I'm out of NY for reasons entirely unrelated to this stuff, if t was up to me I would go back there, might still because I'm a programmer and NY is one of the places in America with the most opportunity for programmers, especially for startups which is the realm I have experience within
7:40 facts. This is happening in Canada as well. Wealthy people buy most of the available land. and wait it out til all housing price will go up then thats when they sell it. Its sad but we average people cannot do anything about it.
It's very pitiful to see people living in such unliveable spaces, where there is no window or natural light. Climbing up the steps to 20 storeys is sheer madness. How can this happen in modern HK is unimaginable. The people's health will definitely turn worse if they continue to live in such sickening places. I'll go mad and crazy if I were to live in such a place. I'd rather die than live in such uninhabitable conditions. The government should provide the needy with proper places to stay. It's very sad indeed.
This exist is everywhere, even in America. Years ago, my parents turned a basement into 7 tiny tiny apartments with a shared bathroom and no kitchen and rented it people who could not afford regular rents.
I’ve lived in places like that. Couldn’t relax in my “apartment” and it was more relaxing to sleep in my car. Was never able to use the bathroom (only one in the whole house), so had to shower at a local gym. Had to beg for a lock on the door and always worried about my things getting stolen. The slumlord was just horrible.
@@deltasaves There were also stories of people doing that to new Chinese immigrants. There would be constant stealing and some would even resort to bringing their whole locked suitcase (containing their valuables) into the shower with them. Of course there were also bed bugs since those apartments were not well looked after.
we in europe gonna face this as well...maybe gonna take some years but we will be in the same situation...im from the netherlands..if u see how less houses there are for the people and how much it allready cost in the big citys and renting its gonna come our way to
Was thinking how this shit would 100000% happen in london within months if it was legal- some of the 'studio apartments' here are already getting towards some of those coffin homes
Farming rice is backbreaking work. I am very doubtful that any city dwellers could endure that kind of hardship. That's why the old poem " remembered the rice in the dish, every single kernel is hard work."
That's all we want. Somewhere safe, clean and no fear of being forced out but we can't have even that because someone has to hold more land than they know what to do with private for investment forcing the rest of us to fight over crumbs when in reality 10x the population could live in complete comfort. I'll give up cars and TV, work manual labor till my body fails me but even still that's not sacrifice enough for them. I have to move far from my family, live in slums, sacrifice sleep, health and the best years of my life and still won't get the few simple things I ask for. The US divided amongst all citizens could be thousands of acres per person. Overpopulation is a myth to make us fight for scraps. We can all have good lives if we do away with abundance.
@@shauncameron8390 You might as well say the hunger games is just the price you pay for living in civilization. No. Things CAN be different. Things CAN be better. I'm not saying they can be some perfect utopia but ffs why do people reject the idea that maybe we can actually improve the world a bit? No, its not "just the price you pay for living in the city". Thats the price you pay for letting the descendents of royalty treat vital resources that they inherited like betting on a sports game. it doesnt have to be that way because some people still have McMansions in the middle of the city, plus in the US there are more vacant houses than homeless people. People care more about appeasing their feudal landlords Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi than they do people in their own community. Like we'd be incapable of survival without the benevolent guidance of billionaires. Feudalism never ended, eventually the people became domesticated livestock so they were able to loosen the leash. That's it. They use the threat of homelessness to force compliance.
@@Jkd_77 The broke life builds. Life could have been easier, it could have been funner but I know that when times get tough I can get through them and you can't put a price on the freedom that kind of self reliance affords you. Life's a garden, dig it 👍
The living conditions in these cage homes can be likened to a form of imprisonment, albeit without the overt security measures like sniper towers and razor wire. While residents are technically free to come and go, it is evident that such cramped and confined spaces hardly constitute a meaningful way of living.
People amazed at this situation. You know that millions of US truck drivers live in, sleep in , bunks smaller than this. No bathroom, no sink, no toilet, .
@@sirvilhelmofyonderlandhe is saying that having a cage home as permanent residence is not comparable to you actually having a home but sometimes need to stay the night in a cumbersome place because of work.
Thank you for posting this video. OMG, I had no idea something like this existed. I never heard of "cage houses" or "coffin houses" before watching your video. I am learning a lot more than I ever expected or anticipated. I wish I could travel the world, but interestingly I am seeing things & places that I would never have seen otherwise.
That is everywhere problem. Has no any regulations about rents and sales,that is why. Its not only in China,everywhere people buy places which they dont use and dont give it even in booking
true, the "mass m4rdering" commies ideology was, that the free housing, free education, and guaranteed employment are human rights. Tells a lot about whos the real monsters eh?
@@Lucky-ei6yh How is it irrelevant? The original comment was talking about living on the streets, and I was just saying I’d prefer to live on the streets of Hong Kong than say, the streets of Moscow.
Holy crap! And i thought Taipei was bad... We truly are blessed here in the west. Spoiled even, by these standards... We have much to be grateful for, thankful for. This vid just reminded me of that, and i thank you for it.
What the heck are these captions? Not even remotely close to what they're actually saying. Just sums up like 2-3 sentences with one short and vague sentence that's not even actually said explicitly in the 2-3 sentences said. Then words are made up and filled in to fit the sentence used in the subtitle.
Hong Kong isn't like other places; it has the most expensive real estate in the world. If you're poor then you can't expect much. At least these people have a building to live in. I live in Vancouver Canada and if you're poor you don't even get a cage home. You sleep at a homeless shelter or on the streets.
Unfettered capitalism in action. I was born in the 1980s, lived in multiple countries, and for the last 10 years, I have become convinced the world was much better before the end of the Cold War, when the West declared victory for it system. Only looking back now do I realise the deregulation, privatisation, and gutting of the welfare state in the 80s/90s were so consequential, and I've always been filled with regret we didn't fight harder against those changes which ordinary people knew was a bad idea then. You are right about Vancouver. I have relatives there. I was recently sent photos of homeless camps and I was shocked. Loved the city when I visited in 2004, but I understand all the problems seen in California on RUclips videos (and Philadelphia) have spread to Canada, and it's now just the same. Maybe there are fewer drugged zombies in Vancouver for now, but that might come later. I heard they legalised drugs (rolling my eyes).
Binder yeah I suppose you are right. In the west also it would be illegal to set up cage homes for people. At least in hongkong being as expensive as it is, cage homes are allowed.
@@Tom-d7e7m they are speaking Cantonese, Cantonese is the main language in Hong Kong followed by Mandarin and English. If you don’t know what you’re talking about please don’t embarrass yourself online.
What you all need to understand is that cage homes are for the greater good. Billionaires absolutely NEED, NOT WANT, AND NEVER FOR VANITY REASONS, a 10th yatcht, a 200+ million car collection(Waltons), and at least 2 if not 3 or more private jets. This is to make sure they can garner clout and bragging rights from other rich elite at cocktail parties. Like i said...for the greater good. Remember this when your children ask why the librarys get defunded and shut down, all content becomes ESG score based and short form only, and why your only feeding her beans, rice, and whatever is on suoersale due to expiration dates or promotions. Give a billionaire the extra luxury he needs.....live a life in poverty.
great doc but i would actually like to know more about the 'sky-slums'. there are plenty of big documentaries that have gone over the cage-homes already - but I had never heard of 'sky-slums' untill the start of your video and I'm very intrigued.
The music choices and word choices in the beginning really shed a bad light and portray negativity and it's giving judgemental and bad vibes. Tbh that was comically offensive. You need a better editor.
This really isn't much better than being in a homeless tent, other than being indoors, and having to pay. There are fewer people on the streets but the bottom of society really isn't doing better.
Yeah it sucks seeing these people living in these conditions. It reminds me of seeing old photos during the Great Depression where 20 people would live in a 1 bedroom apartment because they have no other choice. I really hope governments around the world crack down on these greedy real estate people. Literally destroying billions of lives for a fancy watch.
There are a lot of affordable places to live in China, just not in Hong Kong. These people are used to living this way or don't have that huge problem with it which is why they stay. Yes there is a lot of people and yes there isn't enough space in the city. High demand, low supply so what can you really expect. There are many developed and beautiful cities just as good as Hong Kong, they just don't want to move there.
Perhaps they should buy Galvanized square steel and borrow Expansion screws from their aunt and use eco friendly wood veneers that can last for 1000 years
This will be an average European city in 10-20 years if things don't start changing. As students, my boyfriend and I used to share a 20m^2 one room apartment. We had a tiny kitchen in the entrance area, with two hot plates and a sink which just barely fitted a standard eating plate. A minibar fridge and a toilet which had just barely enough room to fit a small shower, toilet and sink. The toilet was so small that it was hard to close the door whilst being inside unless you sort of climbed into the shower. We had a single window, which was thankfully sort of large and had a nice view, but with a single window it was almost impossible to ventilate the flat, specially when we cooked, since also the kitchen was in the opposite side of the apartment to the window. Additionally, the apartment was renovated just before we moved in, and I'm convinced during the renovation they split what were previously small apartments into two tiny ridiculous prisoner cells. The walls they used to separate the apartments were so thin that I could even hear the neighbour yawn in the mornings or nights. The neighbour also really enjoyed string techno music, and often played it several hours at a time, a few times even in the middle of the night, and he didn't respond when called on the door god knows why. This was all amazing whilst trying to study and work part time and manage a lot of complicated family issues. The whole situation plus university gave me so much anxiety that after getting infected with Covid I developed a very tough long covid, which has left me incapable of working, studying or mostly leaving the house for the past year. I often don't even manage to help my boyfriend with house chores and sometimes even movies and video games or handcrafts are too exhausting. The conclusion after this huge message is just that living in such conditions is a lot more damaging to the health of people that one might think in the first place. And that we really have to put measures in place to limit the greed of owners, but also protecting the right to private property. To anyone living in a place with good public transport and not in a gigantic megapolis I would just recommend just move to a village and commute. It's so much nicer with the nature and rents are normally a lot more affordable. I also enjoy to have my peace and quiet here and not music, shouting and traffic. Just not worth it to live crammed just to be in the city, often it's even faster to arrive from nearby villages to the city centre than to move within the city.
Now that I think about it, I even had a friend which lived in a nicer version of the rooftop houses. He rented a room there which was supposed to be a storage room, he had a small kitchen which had the shower and toilet in it. Also the whole building had access to this kitchen and toilet, since it was on the way to their storage rooms. I asked him if no one ever caught him in the shower or something, and I think he had a door to this kitchen, so he normally closed it and people didn't go in. This was in Zurich city centre, so I don't want to imagine how it's in other poorer countries, such as my native Spain.
People amazed at this situation. You know that millions of US truck drivers live in, sleep in , bunks smaller than this. No bathroom, no sink, no toilet, ..
Because truck drivers due to the nature of their job spend days and weeks at at time away from home. Most of the people in the video barely ever left their block.
Well, I hope the younger people are really realizing what will happen when they get old if they have a jobs that are paying them nothing and they can’t put any money away! I would say get out of Hong Kong not a favorable place to be living. If you’re old, my heart breaks for these people.
The worst part is we can all build our own houses, and they would be decent. But the government will knock them down because we don't own the land, and this is not permitted. These living conditions are created by the government, not by the workers.
Nothing strange about this. Every country is experiencing something similar to this. You have the wealthy 1% and the majority barely earning a living. The cost of food and rent is going up. Most people are one paycheque away from being homeless. The waitlist for government housing is 10-15 years for a single person or a couple without children. The need for food banks is higher than ever.
I’ve seen lots of documentaries like this. Very few mention that all of the property is actually leased by the government and then auctioned off when the lease expires. That’s the reason there’s a housing crisis. These leases are sold for astronomical prices and so astronomical rent must be charged to recoup that loss. Plus, why would anyone invest to build new housing, when the lease on that property will expire? The government should let people keep what they make.
When people start to come back to simple life they will live in wide houses in the province. Big cities are only for rich people,or people with very well paid jobs. Everybody else unless if they are not criminals has no place there or they will live someday like this. Im relocated to province 3 years ago and i was living in very good area in capital but life is not the same as before no matter i have more money then many people.
True, unless this dystopian, evil, neoliberal economic system the US has enforced globally at the point of a gun in the last 40 years becomes totally discredited and sent to the trash bin of history. That day may not be far off now. While the Global South is rising, Europe and US are now collapsing from the very economic system they have tried to spread at the point of a gun.
Vancouver like every city isn’t there yet but with our current situation of high land values and low housing availability that moving within the lower mainland now is not a viable alternative because there’s no where to go…the option is to pay higher prices for the same size or even more money for bigger living arrangements… or pay slightly less for smaller housing or shared living conditions… or move away…government says that they can fix this problem with programs of increasing housing availability in 5-10 years but it’s needed now but with not enough land or skilled workers or enough people throughout the economy of everything needed to keep the city functioning … meanwhile prices for everything goes up and affordable prices on everything keeps going out of reach…lower income CANT meet higher prices can’t move so everyone is kinda sticking it out hopefully a solution shows itself meanwhile we wait.
Many Hong Kong young people knew they will grow old living like that! But somehow, they have been fanned to turn their anger on the government that crosses the border, the one that did nothing to cause this issue. In fact, Shenzhen people on the other side of the border, live in three times larger areas than Hong Konger. International capitals love the city for it's a cash cow for them. Poverty is never an issue for them.
Not to sound like a dick, which I will undoubtedly sound like: but a lot of these homes could be made a lot better by the people living in them. Seriously, if your bathroom is so bad then just take it upon yourself to fix it. Better to spruce it up yourself at least a little bit than to live in such demoralizing conditions. At some point you have to make an effort yourself, even if it´s clearly unfair and unjust.
For example during communism is been the opposite which also is been very bad. If one apartment is too big they put for free someone or even more then one person to live with u...
I mean if it's gonna be small or cramped then fine, but would it kill the government and housing authorities to make them nicer. I'm mean Jesus it's a basic human right to live and have habitation. What is the point of it. Your better off in a box on the street. Everything needs to be shut alllll the way down. How disgusting to do this to people
I just watched a video of a woman buying a pair of Jordans for$1,500. On the other hand these ladies only want a kitchen, private bathroom or a safer place to live.
Greed brings the worst out of us. Keeping a building empty as an investment especially when then is a housing shortage just shows how low we have got.
Can be fixed by, oh I don’t know, changing the entire economic system.
I agree! Fvck these rich pr!cks using land/apartments as an investments!
@@kakonthebed taxation on unoccupied residential properties could minimise the practice however like most things many will find work arounds. Also, at some point governments couldn't care less about property hoarding as they benefit from the flow of money through their countries.
Greed of the Politicians people vote in !
Humans have always been this low and we will never get better. This has been going on since civilisations began. Rich vs Poor. Slaves VS Masters. Royalty Vs peasants. Emperors VS citizens.. It will only get worst over the next 2 decades with how many more rich people there are now. Look at NYC. The amount of empty sky scrapers. Or Sky scrapers that have only 4 residents.
How governments deal with poor living conditions is pure genius. It's like if you go to the doctor for hemorrhoids, and the cure it by making hemorrhoids illegal
If you live in a jail, you're technically not homeless. So they're actually helping, from their own point of view. 😎
@@Hollyucinogen Jail turns non-criminals into criminals so throwing homeless people in jail doesn't help society either.
@@russelltalker Yeah, I agree. I was actually homeless myself at one point, and I can say, from personal experience, that it's difficult to get back up on your feet if you have a criminal record. Criminalizing homelessness is actually a great way to make sure that people remain homeless.
@@Hollyucinogen Same here friend. I was homeless and destitute and got caught shoplifting. Pleaded guilty with suspended sentence and now I can't get a job. Which before was never a problem for me. And people don't understand until they experience it that the day you become homeless, you are almost like not a person anymore. You become invisible and worthless to both strangers and those who you thought had your back. It was the biggest eye opener of my life and I will never look at people or society the same way again. Hard truths come hard
it works that way everywhere, if you are poor they find a way of punish you for that
This is why in Europe countries like Portugal, Spain and even UK are changing laws.
In Portugal you can only buy if youre gonna be living in there, you cant invest if you dont live in the country to rent it or keep it empty.
All empty real estate must be rented out or sold.
Oh, polititians in Portugal must not be corrupt as much. The same law is needed here in South Korea and everywhere else.
I will share this with as many people as possible. Thank you.
It must be everywhere. We are not talking about that citizens care if the owners will pay taxes,but so many places everywhere stays empty. I know people with even few apartments,some furnished and they stay like that and the person often lives abroad
@@corporatedemocrat Also another thing being done is you wont be able to rent your house for short term rentals like airbnb, all tourists need to go to proper hotels and certified accomodations. Airbnb will be over. Houses must be rented to locals or sold to locals.
@@corporatedemocrat Oh don’t worry they are corrupt alright. Just in different sectors of the economy
@@KevinColtAirbnb taking houses away from locals is a big issue especially in tourist areas like where I live in Florida
I come from the ghettos in America. I’ve been shot at, stabbed, had to legit go car hopping to get money for food when I was a kid, it was sad. I’d rather go through all of that again than live the life these people are having to face. This is ridiculously horrible.
Makes me appreciate the apartment that I have
Real talk. Me too!
Me too even though it’s expensive as fuck.
@@MrLeeStoriestell me about it, paying $2600 for a studio
@@SolidSL510 that just made me feel better about my €900 one in Ireland lol
Right? I have a three bedroom trailer, it’s mine and I don’t owe a dime on it. I own the home but still pay 900 per month just for the small lot it sits on. South Florida. Very grateful for what my family has.
This really put a lot of things into perspective for me. I’m sorry for Anytime I have been ungrateful, lazy, etc. there’s someone somewhere wishing they had my two bedroom that I take for granted. My heart goes to these people. Also I have newfound respect for their culture in general. These are strong folk. The part where it mentioned that a lot of them are waiting and hoping they qualify for government assistance for housing while living under the poverty line, reminds me of the struggles that my people face. People are on waiting list for housing assistance for 5+years. Oh dear God please bless these people and their struggles.
Yes well i have another take on it, I started work/study at 16yrs old and am now 54yr old with 4 homes, my main house is 650m square with 3 kitchens, I work 12hrs a day 7 days a week for half a year, and I have seen so many lazy people I don't care about this crap.
54 years old and all you understand is money and material gain, how rich you must feel!🙏🤦
I realize at this time more people out of jobs which don't pay enough for housing, but why would anyone try for 5 years to get in public housing when they can work for their own apt, etc., it hasn't always been so hard and I can't see myself waiting five years for public housing without doing something to help myself get out of the government tit
@@kathylarson8876 when you are placed on the waiting list for help from the government, you still have to maintain your current housing status or try to do better. Some people end up being able to get their own apartment but a lot of people still fall through the cracks during that time. People should be able to afford where they live. Also, when you do get approved for housing, you are still obligated to pay bills…. During that wait period people often are saving so that when they get a place they have some money to pay the bills.
@@mohammadwasilliterate8037 hello, im glad to hear you have been able to accumulate assets for yourself. That is very inspiring to hear. What is your take on inflation during these times? $1 in the 1950’s was equivalent to $13 dollars in today. It’s gotten to the point where I’ve been complacent with just buying a condo/apartment instead of an actual house because $400k is a lot of money
I live in Dubai and that shared type of house/box house is so popular that it's almost becoming the norm for expats from poor countries. Rent prices are so high so this is the only thing people can afford, most of them send money to their families back home. The situation back home is worse that's why we endure it. The only thing stopping me from renting a "box" like this is that I don't have responsibilities back home. I spend most of my salary on a room rent in a shared apartment but most days I can't afford a single proper meal. Most of us work in service in the lavish buildings you see in pictures. That's why cities like Dubai are actually disgusting. Late stage capitalism has absolutely failed us.
But socialism hasn't really been very successful either. The same thing happens. Wealthy powerful people get to dictate to everyone and keep everything to themselves. Socialism doesn't fix that. Look at China and North Korea, not what any of us would want.
Exactly! Everyone goes on about "Capitalism is so corrupt blah blah blah" yet why do so many people want to flee communist regimes where socialism is enforced? Socialism hasnt proven to be any better why do you think the BIGGEST socialist country collapsed? All the marxist jargon about "classes" in capitalism is ridiculous. There will always be the elite and top 1% in societies. Its unfortunate but true. What changes it isnt "socialist ideology" but systematic changes in quality of life, lack of nepotism, etc. Alot of people who are so gung ho about "socialism" have never had to live in that environment. Why do you think those countries have so many massive internal protests? Corrupt officials, a ONE party state where you can only vote for ONE political party (in the Soviet union elections where held frequently where only ONE candidate would be on the ballot) the lack of freedom to be able to speak about anything not pro government, and major lack of human rights seem to go hand in hand in socialist countries. Capitalism has it's issues of course but socialism is not a better solution, it's the same do with a different master. Stalin's Communist regime killed more people then hitler did do your research.
You're from Dubai. Spend some time in North Korea and let me know how well your "socialism" is working
@@TheBenzobanditono, he’s not from Dubai - reading things more slowly might help you
Communism is different to socialism.
this is definitely true...i have been living in Hong Kong for almost 2 decades and I've seen unfortunate Hongkongers who doesn't have a choice but to live in this difficult environment.
@isaacduran4572is this a joke 😂 sorry I'm very unfunny I don't know if it's a joke
@@ello_ammichelle2743its a bad joke yes
He had me at "this is 20-story building" walk-up😮😮😮
❤
You creep @@LovelyCrystal-yd2eh
What's absolutely disgusting is that this doesn't have to be how it is... there is plenty of land they could develop but the government refuses because they want to keep demand up to keep prices up 😢
Uncontrolled capitalism is modern day slavery.
Because a lot of the politicians own that real estate
and you know nature is important
Honk Kong hardly has hardly anymore land to build new housing on.
@@shauncameron8390 city borders are completely arbitrary. Literally just expand. Lol.
I've been there a few times, travelling across the border from China. There are areas outside the urban sprawl of the city where it would be possible to build new homes. They also have plenty of mountainous terrain that could be used for creating new land by taking the stone there and making artificial islands. I think they're already starting to do something like this, and judging by the fact that they had to build their new airport on such a structure, shows they have the skills to do so. However, the cost of this, and the environmental impact, will be crazy. Perhaps it might be time to stop rich people from buying up properties that are left sitting there doing nothing. This isn't a Hong Kong specific issue though. It's a global one. Humans are such greedy creatures when we get down to the nitty-gritty of it. It's disgusting.
i dont think ruining nature anymore is the answer. i do think its time to start thinking about over population and a way to stop it. honestly. the one child will do rule will help alot... just not how they did it
@@thelonemuppet5501
The one-child policy failed. It got scrapped in 2017 for a reason.
@@shauncameron8390Yeah, because stupid chinese were often doing abortions when they found out the fetus is girl, as they wanted to have ,,a son of the family". And while abortions are good in total, normal medic procedure, they should ban it, if the reason is the sex of the fetus. If they were not doing this, the one child policy could still be a very great tool to stop this sick country from getting more and more people in overpopulated country, where a single person is not even a 0,0000000000000001% of the population.
Seeing these people still smiling and being positive while living in such horrible conditions tell you a lot about how beautiful they are.
*brainwashed
I agree with his statement, Hong Kong is definitely not short of land, it's just very poor land management by the government. There is more industrial and commercial zones than residential, which drives the price up, not to mention investors from the mainland, Hong Kong is a literal money mine for them.
We're unfortunately seeing this happen all over the world.
Millions of homeless while buildings sit empty, millions starve while fresh food rots on the street for being a day old.
Greed has to be one of the worst traits people can have. It ruins the Earth.
Superb docu. Really shining a light into the lives of ordinary folks in Hong Kong and their struggles. This problem has gone on for far too long and yet here we are.
People amazed at this situation. You know that millions of US truck drivers live in, sleep in , bunks smaller than this. No bathroom, no sink, no toilet, .
@@sirvilhelmofyonderland They want to live like that. They have money to afford a home and they can change jobs.
@@bananasaur5209 no. They don’t want to live in squalor. If they could change jobs they would.
@@sirvilhelmofyonderlandlol ok mind reading psychic wizard who knows what everyone wants
@@AndreiMitrica-i3l I’m a truck driver, are you? So I can speak on this topic. Do you honestly think a truck driver would prefer sleeping in their truck over their own bed at home? 🏠. Doesn’t take a mind reader to have common sense 👍
4:49 omg, this is horrific. No human being deserves to live like a caged animal like this. Horrible ☹️☹️
no human or animal should live like that.
It’s hard to feel bad for some of these people when they’re the ones who chose to live like this.
@@Mrmudbone_gaming majority of people live in the state they're born in or graduate college from, not because they want to, but because they can't afford to move. their entire network is local and leaving would mean starting over, finding work without their support system and borrowing money to establish themselves.
its normal for chinese
@@rutgers182
That's the risk to take if they want to try and improve their own living situations. Immigrants do it all the time.
Very interesting what the guy talks about at around 7 and a half minutes in - the idea of wealthy people buying apartments as "investments" and then simply leaving them empty because it doesn't matter to them whether they're occupied or not, or that other people are living in squalid conditions. This is a story similar to what I've heard in many other countries and is perhaps shaping up to be one of the more disgusting and pathetic failures of 21st century global capitalism.
Sounds like money laundering. They just need a safe space to park their money.
That's the story of most mega cities, London, New York etc. New apartment blocks are going up and the wealthy snap them up with no intent for occupation. This is capitalism at its lowest.
@@redgringrumboldt8983 For the rich ones yes,but for example here in Bulgaria is the same,no matter capital or other region has many empty places or abandoned old buildings and houses and government doesnt do anything to privatise them. In some cities at least 40 percent of the buildings are empty all year. People dont give it for rent or booking and they dont come here even summer time. Many people has minimum 1 apartment that stays empty
Oh yes! Capitalism is the problem. Because there is not HUGE example of this problem in a communist society and economy. Open and shut. Chain seem ideal now I can’t wait to give up my freedom!
If you need to leave this world take someone who is extremely wealthy with you.
Thr rich torture the poor.
As bad as it looks it beats being completely homeless
Why do i see you everywhere mate? I hope you got rid of your redbacks in your tonka toys
speaking from experience?
We wouldn't allow are animals to live like this. I don't see it better than being homeless, so many are ill. The quality of air alone must be so bad. The conditions are squalid , toilets next to food prep areas. No windows. This is as dismal as it gets. People should not have to live this way !
@@dianneperry840 Having any kind of roof over your head, instead of being exposed to the dangers of being outside and the elements is much better. Nobody should have to live like this no, but I'd rather have a box room than nothing at all.
@@fierypandaofdoom .....
I stumbled across your channel because I was looking for a documentary on Cambodia. I then ended up watching all your documentaries. Really interesting and unique stories of which I haven’t heard of and I am a bit of a current affairs junkie. Are you guys reporters or journalists? I watched a similar documentary on homeless people in Hong Kong and it was mainly the older generation that had been forgotten. It’s really sad, seeing an Asian country ignore it’s senior citizens because usually they are well respected in the family. Thanks you for bringing insightful stories to open our eyes and minds and understanding the world a little better. Love and light ♥️❤️🫶🏻.
So u make sense now?
This is nuts. Modern society is causing such a mess. Not just in China but all around the world. The last statement made in this video is so true. The main thing I learned from this life is that it's not fair.
Life is cruel and unfair, but it doesn’t have to be like that. If governments etc were not so greedy and selfish, we could actually support each other, and give everyone the basic things we all need, food, water, and a safe place to live. The older I get, the more infuriated I become by this selfish world. He top 1% world’s wealthiest, COULD do so much for the poorest, and still be in that top 1% of wealth, but they never will.
@@Chloepickle15 That is so true.
@@Chloepickle15
Governments are a reflection of the people who elected them. If anything, the people got what they voted for.
not in china，only in Hong Kong
@@Chloepickle15it’s not their job to do a damn thing about some junky who won’t fix themselves
Can you imagine the devastation and death if there were a fire in a cage or coffin home, especially?
Yeah and whenever we get a look inside, people are smoking cigarettes like crazy.
COFFIN BOX 👀
I would prefer village life where abundance everywhere to such Cage life so called Cities
Even if has no cage houses in asian countreys is cement life 😂
Same.
This is such high quality documentary, im suprised its only 1.6k views with 43 likes in 22 hrs.
The material is copied from other sources.
34K views now and counting. It’s because people are eating McDonald’s and no I am not going to
Accept it, you cheeky darn little devil man.
Original from Thai
ruclips.net/video/620quEWoDeE/видео.html
People are busy watching junk on tiktok
@@chotiroch
Holy crap you’re right!
As a Hong Konger, this is pretty well researched and the interviews are pretty well conducted, the only problem I have are the translations of the Cantonese conversations - the rough gist is there, but the translations miss a lot of details.
In Hong Kong, housing like these (coffin houses, Subdivided flat aka boxed houses) are more like an open secret. Old buildings with subdivided flats (Tong lau) are present even in the most popular shopping areas e.g. mongkok, which is also shown in the video. Everyone knows them, everyone sees them - we just don't talk about it. It's almost like we subconsciously acknowledged them as necessary conditions for HK's (previously) thriving economy.
A big reason for the expensive housing is limited land - almost 40% of HK's land are country parks and legally you are not allowed to build there. There was/is hot debate about whether real estates agent should be allowed to build residential buildings on some country park land. Truth to be told, it was as Tommy Ho stated in the video - government holds onto "vacant" land for more profitable land deals and buildings, thus pushing out grass root.
The worst part: this is going to become more common. Survey reveals 40% of Hong Kong young people consider themselves poor (Source: phys.org). A report by Oxfam in 2022 found the pandemic worsened Hong Kong’s wealth gap, with the richest residents making almost 50 times as much as the poorest in the first quarter of 2022.
One of the largest industry of Hong Kong is tourism, and it has basically been killed by the protests, pandemic and CCP crackdown and oppression. The economy is worsening. The city's mental health is worsening to the point of multiple (lethal) stabbing incidents (previously rare in HK).
If you thought this video is grim, it's grimmer in reality. For many of us, the only hope is leaving the country. Not everyone has that privilege.
I don't think there's any Hong Kongers who went through the education system post 1997, can write English as beautifully as yourself.
Thank you very much for providing additional valuable insight about the situation. I hope you are doing well.
Why not expand into the sea perhaps? Make a sort of floating city?
Funny how the parts of China, which haven't been enslaved and brainwashed by the UK / West for decades, are doing a million times better. Virtually no homeless people, everyone has a REAL apartment in mainland China, low crime, incredibly safe and people love their lives. But yeah, keep blaming the CPC (or "CCP" as the brainwashed folks call them) for everything. It's not the CPC who turned Hong Kong into a money laundering place for the global ruling-class and kicked out the native people from the better parts of Hong Kong. It was the western invaders who did this. And it's not the CPC who brought unrest and instability to Hong Kong, it was the western ruling-class' media propaganda and psychological-operations that tried to trigger a violent "color revolution" to weaken China's overall stability. Blame your destructive former master who's still influencing you.
As someone who grew up on Hong Kong action movies of the 80s and 90s, that's a pretty sad comment to read. I know those were just movies, but it seemed a more vibrant and prosperous place back then. I miss buying household items and finding "Made in Hong Kong" stickers on them. Australia too wants be a services based economy by the looks of things. Fortunately there are other sectors that help.
The shot at 6:12 tells me the camera man has dreams.
When you're filming a conversation, you need to show both parties. IDK what dreams you mean.
Wdym..?
Lmao I gotcha
After seeing this, I am even more grateful to leave in a comfortable apartment.
Its interesting to see that the people living on farms and working there look more educated and wealthy/healthy as those living in the big city. Usually its vice versa
Makes you appreciate what you got for real
Here's the main problems they didn't get themselves some:
1) Galvanized steels
2) Eco Friendly Wood Vaneer
3) Screws borrowed from aunts
😂 😂
lol
We don't realize how lucky we are until we see this. For the record, my boyfriend and I lived in a Coffin House in 1982 on Beach Street in Tribeca..
I worked for a chinese restaurant where the owner housed all 12 illegal Mexican kitchen hands in a one bedroom apartment. He was helping and abusing at the same time. Puts the immigration issue into perspective.
I'l tell you from experience, not having sunlight messes with your head to the verge of brain damage, at least it feels like that. I used to live in tiny basement rooms in NYC without windows for many years in my 20's and at first I was resilient but after a few years I started waking up feeling like my brain wasn't awake and I'd get these weird quasi-headaches, it made it really hard to concentrate some days, and a bunch of days around the end of that stint I looked like a zombie coming out of there my skin got all pale and I had really dark rings around my eyes like I was a meth head or something, and felt all messed up, I think I lost a potential job w a guy I knew because I ran into him one of those days and I think that he suspected I was on drugs or something.
Anyways, it is illegal in NYC for a reason, but definitely exists all over the place, I used to live cramped in w 5 people in a basement just one toilet and a disgusting shared fridge and toaster oven. We had a guy from Morocco in there, guy from Mexico I think, one girl who was definitely mentally ill, and another guy who had Asperger's syndrome or something and would yell to himself and didn't interact with anybody. Just one layer of drywall and a cheap little door, it was like living in a closet with no privacy at all, you could hear everything. Landlord only spoke Spanish and took money in cash only. And there were definitely bed bugs though I didn't know what they looked like at the time, I have no idea how I didn't transmit them to my other places. Also have no idea how I was able to hit it with a girl in there but it happened. That place was so crazy lol glad I'm out of there
A lot of Americans don't understand the reality of city life, especially the mouse and roach and rat problems I left out above, which spill into the other better housing so its a perpetual problem. Mice literally swarmed any food I brought in there if I left it in the room alone with them. It would be completely gone after a few hours in there alone. Mice diving out of the garbage can in the bathroom when you wake up to take a piss at night. Roaches all over everything. Its hurdles like this that I don't think people from outside the cities don't recognize, and thus they interpret the problems in American cities as being less serious than they actually are and don't invest properly in the maintenance of the cities and aid to the population, we are losing a lot of talent that way not to mention making peoples lives suck and making everywhere risky to go because of crime
You have just written a novel.
Thanks for sharing! Are you still in NY?
@@pirateslifeforme Why would you want to know if I still live in NY?
@@spacemonk26 just wondering. Since it seemed like you hated it so much. I thought maybe after all these years you’d have moved out of state.
@@pirateslifeforme What are you one of those dudes trying to prove how New York is so mismanaged and all red states are doing it better?
I loved NY, though I have been through some crazy circumstances, I got myself into those. NY offers opportunity to people at the very bottom level, just trying to convey how crazy things get at the bottom level, some people persevere, but the fact that modern societies let things get so crazy for people at the bottom is pretty messed up, and to fix those problems in American cities, we need federal money, because people jam into cities from all over the country, and a lot of those people are driven there by states which are mismanaged, or full of racists/transphobes/homophobes who block people out from economic participation and, although they are obviously too dumb to realize what they are doing, essentially attempt to transform the cities into concentration camps for their unwanted.
There should be a federal law where if anybody claims to be a "refugee" from another state, the state that accepts them in is entitled to a fine from the state which drove them out. Those person won't get that money, only the state will, so there is no incentive to game the system, but it will incentivize the states who are just pushing their problems onto other states, or actively creating problems, to clean up their act
I'm out of NY for reasons entirely unrelated to this stuff, if t was up to me I would go back there, might still because I'm a programmer and NY is one of the places in America with the most opportunity for programmers, especially for startups which is the realm I have experience within
7:40 facts. This is happening in Canada as well. Wealthy people buy most of the available land. and wait it out til all housing price will go up then thats when they sell it. Its sad but we average people cannot do anything about it.
I wish I could tell those people how strong they are. How much they acomplished. I just wish the best for them
It's very pitiful to see people living in such unliveable spaces, where there is no window or natural light. Climbing up the steps to 20 storeys is sheer madness. How can this happen in modern HK is unimaginable. The people's health will definitely turn worse if they continue to live in such sickening places. I'll go mad and crazy if I were to live in such a place. I'd rather die than live in such uninhabitable conditions. The government should provide the needy with proper places to stay. It's very sad indeed.
And we worry about Covid. What do they do. This is so sad.
This exist is everywhere, even in America. Years ago, my parents turned a basement into 7 tiny tiny apartments with a shared bathroom and no kitchen and rented it people who could not afford regular rents.
Yikes.
I’ve lived in places like that. Couldn’t relax in my “apartment” and it was more relaxing to sleep in my car. Was never able to use the bathroom (only one in the whole house), so had to shower at a local gym. Had to beg for a lock on the door and always worried about my things getting stolen. The slumlord was just horrible.
@@deltasaves There were also stories of people doing that to new Chinese immigrants. There would be constant stealing and some would even resort to bringing their whole locked suitcase (containing their valuables) into the shower with them. Of course there were also bed bugs since those apartments were not well looked after.
Sad but true. I'm from the U.S. and that's how my parents started off in the beginning of their marriage.
Thank you for another great documentary!
we in europe gonna face this as well...maybe gonna take some years but we will be in the same situation...im from the netherlands..if u see how less houses there are for the people and how much it allready cost in the big citys and renting its gonna come our way to
Was thinking how this shit would 100000% happen in london within months if it was legal- some of the 'studio apartments' here are already getting towards some of those coffin homes
We as a species have screwed up big time if this is how the poorest of our people live and die.
unfortunately, this happens to other wealthy countries / cities, too like Dubai :/ i know, because i used to live in one
Farming rice is backbreaking work. I am very doubtful that any city dwellers could endure that kind of hardship. That's why the old poem " remembered the rice in the dish, every single kernel is hard work."
6:14
That’s a drawn out way of saying
“Thinking about what to eat for dinner” 😂
No fr 😂
That's all we want. Somewhere safe, clean and no fear of being forced out but we can't have even that because someone has to hold more land than they know what to do with private for investment forcing the rest of us to fight over crumbs when in reality 10x the population could live in complete comfort. I'll give up cars and TV, work manual labor till my body fails me but even still that's not sacrifice enough for them. I have to move far from my family, live in slums, sacrifice sleep, health and the best years of my life and still won't get the few simple things I ask for. The US divided amongst all citizens could be thousands of acres per person. Overpopulation is a myth to make us fight for scraps. We can all have good lives if we do away with abundance.
That's just the price to pay for the convenience of living in the city.
@@shauncameron8390 You might as well say the hunger games is just the price you pay for living in civilization. No. Things CAN be different. Things CAN be better. I'm not saying they can be some perfect utopia but ffs why do people reject the idea that maybe we can actually improve the world a bit?
No, its not "just the price you pay for living in the city". Thats the price you pay for letting the descendents of royalty treat vital resources that they inherited like betting on a sports game. it doesnt have to be that way because some people still have McMansions in the middle of the city, plus in the US there are more vacant houses than homeless people. People care more about appeasing their feudal landlords Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi than they do people in their own community. Like we'd be incapable of survival without the benevolent guidance of billionaires. Feudalism never ended, eventually the people became domesticated livestock so they were able to loosen the leash. That's it. They use the threat of homelessness to force compliance.
@@shauncameron8390 Okay kiddo.
@@theunburntbush7711 I’m really sorry to hear that about your situation and you’re so right!
@@Jkd_77 The broke life builds. Life could have been easier, it could have been funner but I know that when times get tough I can get through them and you can't put a price on the freedom that kind of self reliance affords you. Life's a garden, dig it 👍
The living conditions in these cage homes can be likened to a form of imprisonment, albeit without the overt security measures like sniper towers and razor wire. While residents are technically free to come and go, it is evident that such cramped and confined spaces hardly constitute a meaningful way of living.
People amazed at this situation. You know that millions of US truck drivers live in, sleep in , bunks smaller than this. No bathroom, no sink, no toilet, .
@@sirvilhelmofyonderland those truckers have a house waiting for them at home. So not comparable
@@imarchello I’m a truck driver, I’ve been to jail. Very comparable.
Modern slavery in a nutshell
@@sirvilhelmofyonderlandhe is saying that having a cage home as permanent residence is not comparable to you actually having a home but sometimes need to stay the night in a cumbersome place because of work.
Soon Singapore will follow suit.
Absolutely no respect for people that believe there elderly should live in cages smh
this is such a sad thing, i hope the best for everyone.
Thank you for posting this video. OMG, I had no idea something like this existed. I never heard of "cage houses" or "coffin houses" before watching your video. I am learning a lot more than I ever expected or anticipated. I wish I could travel the world, but interestingly I am seeing things & places that I would never have seen otherwise.
this video really does make you greatful for what you do have
I will never complain about my 500 square foot apartment ever again.
Death is a preferable alternative than living in a human zoo
Housing should have never been allowed bought and sold as an investment.
You are right
That is everywhere problem. Has no any regulations about rents and sales,that is why. Its not only in China,everywhere people buy places which they dont use and dont give it even in booking
true, the "mass m4rdering" commies ideology was, that the free housing, free education, and guaranteed employment are human rights. Tells a lot about whos the real monsters eh?
Coffin homes actually look warm and comfy. I rather have a safe place to sleep then be living out on the streets
Eh, it’s pretty safe in Hong Kong and the weather doesn’t get dangerously cold. There are worse places to live on the streets.
@@bigbowlowrong4694 that's irrelevant to the original comment
@@Lucky-ei6yh How is it irrelevant? The original comment was talking about living on the streets, and I was just saying I’d prefer to live on the streets of Hong Kong than say, the streets of Moscow.
Holy crap! And i thought Taipei was bad...
We truly are blessed here in the west. Spoiled even, by these standards... We have much to be grateful for, thankful for. This vid just reminded me of that, and i thank you for it.
I feel horrible that my pets live so much better than these people - humans should never have to live like that :’(
What the heck are these captions? Not even remotely close to what they're actually saying. Just sums up like 2-3 sentences with one short and vague sentence that's not even actually said explicitly in the 2-3 sentences said. Then words are made up and filled in to fit the sentence used in the subtitle.
From Cave Man to Cage Man.
Lol
😂
Not funny
Hong Kong isn't like other places; it has the most expensive real estate in the world. If you're poor then you can't expect much. At least these people have a building to live in. I live in Vancouver Canada and if you're poor you don't even get a cage home. You sleep at a homeless shelter or on the streets.
Unfettered capitalism in action. I was born in the 1980s, lived in multiple countries, and for the last 10 years, I have become convinced the world was much better before the end of the Cold War, when the West declared victory for it system. Only looking back now do I realise the deregulation, privatisation, and gutting of the welfare state in the 80s/90s were so consequential, and I've always been filled with regret we didn't fight harder against those changes which ordinary people knew was a bad idea then. You are right about Vancouver. I have relatives there. I was recently sent photos of homeless camps and I was shocked. Loved the city when I visited in 2004, but I understand all the problems seen in California on RUclips videos (and Philadelphia) have spread to Canada, and it's now just the same. Maybe there are fewer drugged zombies in Vancouver for now, but that might come later. I heard they legalised drugs (rolling my eyes).
Binder yeah I suppose you are right. In the west also it would be illegal to set up cage homes for people. At least in hongkong being as expensive as it is, cage homes are allowed.
Very sad story. Hope life gets better for them as soon as possible. Btw, outstanding beautiful voice from the narrator. I'll definitely watch more
This makes my bed look like a mansion
I speak Cantonese and 90% of subtitles in this video are incorrect. This is irresponsible documentation.
@@Tom-d7e7m they are speaking Cantonese, Cantonese is the main language in Hong Kong followed by Mandarin and English. If you don’t know what you’re talking about please don’t embarrass yourself online.
@@EpicHotCheesewow really? thank you for informing people honestly.
How incorrect is it? Are they saying things that its a completely different from the subtitles or are the paraphrasing?
This is horrific, brag about being rich but look how they treat their poor/old. They should be ashamed. Arrested for crimes against humanity
Is it just me or have I already watch this documentaries they post somewhere else?
That what I thought as soon as it started. It's an older video from somewhere, or it's a clip from another video
What you all need to understand is that cage homes are for the greater good.
Billionaires absolutely NEED, NOT WANT, AND NEVER FOR VANITY REASONS, a 10th yatcht, a 200+ million car collection(Waltons), and at least 2 if not 3 or more private jets.
This is to make sure they can garner clout and bragging rights from other rich elite at cocktail parties.
Like i said...for the greater good. Remember this when your children ask why the librarys get defunded and shut down, all content becomes ESG score based and short form only, and why your only feeding her beans, rice, and whatever is on suoersale due to expiration dates or promotions.
Give a billionaire the extra luxury he needs.....live a life in poverty.
great doc but i would actually like to know more about the 'sky-slums'. there are plenty of big documentaries that have gone over the cage-homes already - but I had never heard of 'sky-slums' untill the start of your video and I'm very intrigued.
The music choices and word choices in the beginning really shed a bad light and portray negativity and it's giving judgemental and bad
vibes. Tbh that was comically offensive. You need a better editor.
This really isn't much better than being in a homeless tent, other than being indoors, and having to pay. There are fewer people on the streets but the bottom of society really isn't doing better.
Yeah it sucks seeing these people living in these conditions.
It reminds me of seeing old photos during the Great Depression where 20 people would live in a 1 bedroom apartment because they have no other choice.
I really hope governments around the world crack down on these greedy real estate people. Literally destroying billions of lives for a fancy watch.
There are a lot of affordable places to live in China, just not in Hong Kong. These people are used to living this way or don't have that huge problem with it which is why they stay. Yes there is a lot of people and yes there isn't enough space in the city. High demand, low supply so what can you really expect. There are many developed and beautiful cities just as good as Hong Kong, they just don't want to move there.
Perhaps they should buy Galvanized square steel and borrow Expansion screws from their aunt and use eco friendly wood veneers that can last for 1000 years
Dude SERIOUSLY!!!
It's almost getting this bad here in Canada. A 400 sq ft basement Batchelor suited is $1300+ electric
This was saddening. Seeing people only able to afford so little by working full time :,(
Good evening i am your new subcriber watching from Manila Philippines Mabuhay
These living conditions are beyond disturbing, depressing etc 😢
thats insane, im so blessed im in usa, thank you god, lord jesus, i appreciated it. I feel sooo bad for these people my god, life is soo unfair
Do you make theses video/doco's plz mate? well if u do there bloody great eh n plz do keep them up. cheers from sydney nsw.
This was mesmerising. I've been to Hong Kong a few times and have experienced the tiny rooms people rent! J.
You call a sad thing mesmerizing?!
That's all you have to say, that was your reaction, that is just as sad, really
?
lots of kind people for sure!
Cage homes are better than coffin homes! At least in cage homes there is ventilation.
And even less privacy. I mean literlly non-existent.
Worth subscribing 🎉❤
I am really sad to see these innocent people suffering . May God help leave these places for better living places!!!!!!!
This will be an average European city in 10-20 years if things don't start changing. As students, my boyfriend and I used to share a 20m^2 one room apartment. We had a tiny kitchen in the entrance area, with two hot plates and a sink which just barely fitted a standard eating plate. A minibar fridge and a toilet which had just barely enough room to fit a small shower, toilet and sink. The toilet was so small that it was hard to close the door whilst being inside unless you sort of climbed into the shower. We had a single window, which was thankfully sort of large and had a nice view, but with a single window it was almost impossible to ventilate the flat, specially when we cooked, since also the kitchen was in the opposite side of the apartment to the window.
Additionally, the apartment was renovated just before we moved in, and I'm convinced during the renovation they split what were previously small apartments into two tiny ridiculous prisoner cells. The walls they used to separate the apartments were so thin that I could even hear the neighbour yawn in the mornings or nights. The neighbour also really enjoyed string techno music, and often played it several hours at a time, a few times even in the middle of the night, and he didn't respond when called on the door god knows why. This was all amazing whilst trying to study and work part time and manage a lot of complicated family issues. The whole situation plus university gave me so much anxiety that after getting infected with Covid I developed a very tough long covid, which has left me incapable of working, studying or mostly leaving the house for the past year. I often don't even manage to help my boyfriend with house chores and sometimes even movies and video games or handcrafts are too exhausting.
The conclusion after this huge message is just that living in such conditions is a lot more damaging to the health of people that one might think in the first place. And that we really have to put measures in place to limit the greed of owners, but also protecting the right to private property. To anyone living in a place with good public transport and not in a gigantic megapolis I would just recommend just move to a village and commute. It's so much nicer with the nature and rents are normally a lot more affordable. I also enjoy to have my peace and quiet here and not music, shouting and traffic. Just not worth it to live crammed just to be in the city, often it's even faster to arrive from nearby villages to the city centre than to move within the city.
Now that I think about it, I even had a friend which lived in a nicer version of the rooftop houses. He rented a room there which was supposed to be a storage room, he had a small kitchen which had the shower and toilet in it. Also the whole building had access to this kitchen and toilet, since it was on the way to their storage rooms. I asked him if no one ever caught him in the shower or something, and I think he had a door to this kitchen, so he normally closed it and people didn't go in. This was in Zurich city centre, so I don't want to imagine how it's in other poorer countries, such as my native Spain.
People amazed at this situation. You know that millions of US truck drivers live in, sleep in , bunks smaller than this. No bathroom, no sink, no toilet, ..
Ok but the truck driver can usually stay in a motel or at worse live inside his truck and use the public bathroom for certain needs.
Because truck drivers due to the nature of their job spend days and weeks at at time away from home. Most of the people in the video barely ever left their block.
Hong Kong is my favorite city. Id live NEXT to him just so I could live in Hong Kong. There's so much to see and do it's not important where you live.
I cannot even think of a response that might make you think about how and why they are living like this, how old are you, mentally challenged?
Well, I hope the younger people are really realizing what will happen when they get old if they have a jobs that are paying them nothing and they can’t put any money away! I would say get out of Hong Kong not a favorable place to be living. If you’re old, my heart breaks for these people.
The worst part is we can all build our own houses, and they would be decent. But the government will knock them down because we don't own the land, and this is not permitted.
These living conditions are created by the government, not by the workers.
Hong Kong is a great and advanced place but racism towards Southeast Asian people never fades there😔
Nothing strange about this. Every country is experiencing something similar to this. You have the wealthy 1% and the majority barely earning a living. The cost of food and rent is going up. Most people are one paycheque away from being homeless. The waitlist for government housing is 10-15 years for a single person or a couple without children. The need for food banks is higher than ever.
It's weird how some people think humans living in cages like that is disgusting but fine if it's any other animal
I don’t think it’s ok for animals to be in cages
@@HaveCommonSense76me either. Never ever will I go to a zoo. I hate it
I’ve seen lots of documentaries like this. Very few mention that all of the property is actually leased by the government and then auctioned off when the lease expires. That’s the reason there’s a housing crisis. These leases are sold for astronomical prices and so astronomical rent must be charged to recoup that loss. Plus, why would anyone invest to build new housing, when the lease on that property will expire? The government should let people keep what they make.
More and more people will be living like this in the future.
When people start to come back to simple life they will live in wide houses in the province. Big cities are only for rich people,or people with very well paid jobs. Everybody else unless if they are not criminals has no place there or they will live someday like this. Im relocated to province 3 years ago and i was living in very good area in capital but life is not the same as before no matter i have more money then many people.
True, unless this dystopian, evil, neoliberal economic system the US has enforced globally at the point of a gun in the last 40 years becomes totally discredited and sent to the trash bin of history. That day may not be far off now. While the Global South is rising, Europe and US are now collapsing from the very economic system they have tried to spread at the point of a gun.
Just dont live in big cities. Big cities sucks
Vancouver like every city isn’t there yet but with our current situation of high land values and low housing availability that moving within the lower mainland now is not a viable alternative because there’s no where to go…the option is to pay higher prices for the same size or even more money for bigger living arrangements… or pay slightly less for smaller housing or shared living conditions… or move away…government says that they can fix this problem with programs of increasing housing availability in 5-10 years but it’s needed now but with not enough land or skilled workers or enough people throughout the economy of everything needed to keep the city functioning … meanwhile prices for everything goes up and affordable prices on everything keeps going out of reach…lower income CANT meet higher prices can’t move so everyone is kinda sticking it out hopefully a solution shows itself meanwhile we wait.
China is worse, but they would never allow filming like this on the mainland.
There are quite literally millions of videos of Amateur videos by foreign tourists and Chinese citizens
Keep it up. 👍
Many Hong Kong young people knew they will grow old living like that! But somehow, they have been fanned to turn their anger on the government that crosses the border, the one that did nothing to cause this issue. In fact, Shenzhen people on the other side of the border, live in three times larger areas than Hong Konger.
International capitals love the city for it's a cash cow for them. Poverty is never an issue for them.
this vid is actully underated and this is actully the real hong kong that the amarican mainstream media actully dont show you is actully really like
Little john can help. Buy galvanized square steel and a toilet
Not to sound like a dick, which I will undoubtedly sound like: but a lot of these homes could be made a lot better by the people living in them. Seriously, if your bathroom is so bad then just take it upon yourself to fix it. Better to spruce it up yourself at least a little bit than to live in such demoralizing conditions.
At some point you have to make an effort yourself, even if it´s clearly unfair and unjust.
What could possibly be wrong with capitalism?
For example during communism is been the opposite which also is been very bad. If one apartment is too big they put for free someone or even more then one person to live with u...
@@Noname-ni8qm Not that much difference between the two authoritarian market systems?
I know.
I mean if it's gonna be small or cramped then fine, but would it kill the government and housing authorities to make them nicer. I'm mean Jesus it's a basic human right to live and have habitation. What is the point of it. Your better off in a box on the street. Everything needs to be shut alllll the way down. How disgusting to do this to people
England will be like this soon.
I just watched a video of a woman buying a pair of Jordans for$1,500. On the other hand these ladies only want a kitchen, private bathroom or a safer place to live.