00:03with some six to seven thousand people to every square kilometer hong kong is one of the densest
00:08cities on earth and for most residents life in the skyscraper city means dealing with steep rents
00:14but for some 220 000 people it means life in a small shoebox apartment or even a so-called coffin
00:21home you can't stand straight you have to either sit or lie down i'm on the upper bunk
00:29so i have to climb up and down slowly and be careful with my leg there's nothing i can do
00:37coffin homes and the slightly bigger subdivided apartments known as shoebox homes are the
00:43product of pervasive wealth inequality and housing shortages in hong kong for years sky high rents
00:50have seen owners divide their apartments then divide them again creating living conditions
00:54that have long garnered negative media attention i'm renting such a cheap flat in hong kong you
01:02just can't find anything similar anymore but i don't have the capacity to rent anything more expensive
01:08if the rent is any higher i just can't afford it now chinese president xi jinping has ordered hong kong
01:15to
01:15tackle its housing problems and the region's government has introduced ordinances targeting
01:20subdivided apartments adding to existing regulations on coffin homes
01:27we think that the basic housing units ordinance will be good for hong kong's overall housing development
01:34because it will fall some of the poor housing to be renovated or shut down
01:39there's also a resettlement policy that can provide accommodation for residents
01:45hong kong is now building more affordable and public housing and setting minimum living standards for
01:51subdivided apartments units smaller than eight square meters will be banned and landlords will be required
01:57to renovate to meet more stringent safety and hygiene requirements like having at least one openable
02:04window by 2030. the issue is many tenants like leo shaoli are being forced out before new housing is built
02:13what will i do right now i'm living month by month i will keep delaying as long as i can
02:20and we'll see what happens when it comes if i have time i'll go look for suitable places to move
02:26to
02:26as moving is inevitable as this place will need to undergo renovations leo is divorced and works two
02:34jobs to support her daughter and granddaughter across the border in mainland china she pays her rent
02:39with what little is left over as she sits on a government waiting list hoping a new home comes
02:44before she gets evicted yuan duan and bryn thomas for taiwan plus
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