Cage home tenants hope that the transformation of subdivided flats into “Basic Housing Units (BHU) will extend its scope to cover other poor-quality housing, including cage homes.
Fong, 63, one of the 35 cage home tenants in the 800-square-foot flat. (Credit: Rachel Chan)
Fong, 63, lives in an 800-square-foot unit located in Yau Ma Tei, with 34 other cage home tenants.
“There have been disputes and fights between tenants,” said Fong, describing the living conditions as extremely poor as he had also seen tenants “going to heaven” in the flat.
Drugs may also be found in the flat, he said.
Having lived in his 3-foot-by-6-foot cage home for over nine years, Fong said that the affordable rent is one of the key reasons why he stayed.
“In fact, I had considered moving into a subdivided flat with a separate bathroom a few years ago, but the monthly rent is just too expensive, costing nearly HK$4,000 to HK$5,000.”
To protect rights of the grassroots living in poor-quality housing, the Society for Community Organization suggested the government to expand regulatory categories of subdivided units to cover cage homes, and introduce the concept of a minimum living area per person should be no less than 5.5 square meters.