Hong Kong is a city with a multi-million population and a huge contrast in people's living standards. The thing is that a lot of Chinese live here in very small closets, like our closets. This solution to the housing issue is due to two factors - urban overcrowding and the terribly high prices for housing.
The living cages were seen by the UN as an insult to the dignity of the people and were condemned accordingly. But this fact does not change the essence of the question, unfortunately. Currently, approximately three hundred thousand people have such living conditions, and this is the only alternative solution for them.
To rent an apartment in Hong Kong, you will need to pay thirty-five percent more than, for example, in New York. And this despite the fact that their area is mainly up to 2.5 square meters. In some cases, it is five square meters, and this is considered a luxury. And the most interesting thing is that a month for this small apartment (you can only call the closet that way with great difficulty) equals from 250 to 350 American dollars.
We all know very well that the country's population is growing significantly every year. People need to live somewhere, and, unfortunately, there is no more space. In order to somehow support their citizens and provide them with personal housing, the authorities found a way out in the construction of tiny closets-apartments.
For our compatriots, it is very scary to realize that they have only two squares of square at their disposal. For some citizens in our country, two hundred squares are not enough. But in China, this is already a breakthrough, since before this innovation, many Chinese lived in one small apartment with many relatives. Therefore, they are grateful to the state. To buy this "pantry" called an apartment, you will need to pay an amount equal to the cost of a one-room apartment in Moscow.
But even this moment does not bother or upset the Chinese. If some before that lived, albeit in cramped conditions, but under a roof, then many townspeople generally lived in cardboard boxes under the open sky. Here they had the opportunity to at least relax after work, to sleep well.
As for the convenience, it is also difficult for us to understand how this might suit. Although those who lived in hostels at one time will not be surprised. Toilet and shower here are designed for several separate apartments located on the same floor, plus the kitchen is also one for all. The lucky ones have their own cooking stove and toilet. It is difficult even to imagine where they are located there, but this is reality.
The main part of the miniature room is occupied by a bed. Often the structure is made in a two-tiered format. Absolutely everything is on the shelves: clothes, household items, packaged food, dishes, personal hygiene items. Women, men, families - people of all ages live in these tiny apartments. They are already glad that in their own housing they can simply stand up to their full height. After such news, our fifteen-square-meter Moscow one-room apartment may seem like a real luxury when compared with China, of course.
It should be noted that from the outside, the coffin apartments look quite presentable. The cladding of reflective luxury panels makes them look like rich, pretentious shopping and business centers, harmoniously fitting into the overall urban architecture. But behind the facades is a real nightmare. Hong Kong apartment buildings are the other side of the coin, contrast to the rich side of the metropolis.
Back in the fifties, boxes were beds with metal enclosing rods. Poor people who migrated from the PRC settled here. Over the years, the demand for such housing has grown, which led to its modernization. Boxes were made from the cages, where mostly local residents settled.
The current situation is, in fact, critical. The thing is that the territory of the city is completely owned by the government. Residential buildings use only 7% of all available land. The rest of the resource, based on the results of numerous auctions, is leased to wealthy Chinese and foreign developers. They build houses and set too high a price for living space. After all, here, not only is the market limited, but also there is no price control.
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Most of the Chinese who own this property are not at home. They spend the most time at work. Firstly, credit real estate is too expensive. Secondly, you need to somehow live, eat something, dress in something and put on shoes. Therefore, they don't buy many things. In their house there is only what is vital.
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One more point should be noted. In these overcrowded houses, the mortality rate is orders of magnitude higher than on city streets. The reason is the presence of a huge number of people on one territory, which regularly increases due to the high birth rate. So there is a chance to get a larger apartment for refinancing from the state.
Want to know more about China and its people, read, why do the Chinese massively breed mosquitoes at a special plant.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/210420/54222/