|
The
city's government has proposed new rules that would set minimum
standards for such housing units, but residents and advocates
for the poor worry that it could drive up rents and make it even
harder to hang on in the city. The city's eventual goal,
mandated by Beijing, is to eliminate subdivided apartments over
the next 25 years.
Officials are aiming to pass the rules into law within the year.
After that, landlords will have a grace period to make their
substandard flats meet the bar. The government has promised to
assist affected residents in resettlement and adopt a gradual
approach in its policy implementation to avoid causing panic.
Here are some of the numbers that illustrate the residents'
living conditions and the proposed policy.
7.5 million
Hong Kong's population in mid-2024
80 square kilometers (31 square miles)
How much land is used for housing in the densely-packed
territory, according to the city's planning department
110,000
The number of dwellings created by dividing apartments
220,000
The number of people who live in them
10 square meters (110 square feet)
The median size of the units that have been carved out. About
one-fourth are less than eight square meters (86 square feet),
the minimum size mandated under the proposed rules
12.5 square meters (135 square feet)
The standard size of a parking space in Hong Kong
$640
Or 5,000 Hong Kong dollars: the median rent for a unit in a
subdivided apartment
33,000
Estimated number of units that would need major renovations
under the proposed rules
2049
The year by which China's central government wants Hong Kong to
phase out subdivided units. It will mark 100 years of communist
rule in China.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved
|
|
