Shocking Photos of Cramped Hong Kong Apartments

[Contrarian]

This is a problem that plagued mankind the day we became farmers, create permanent settlements, and create situations where it is possible to have food without growing one's own. Situations = Jobs.

The reason population control is political rather than technical is that human life have evolved around the concept of political borders, which includes personal space as well as national space. My house is 3000 sq/ft on .25 acre. That is excessive for two people, me and the G/F, let alone a single person. And yet there are plenty singles who lives in homes larger than mine. No one can cross those legally recognized property lines without consent.

Same for national borders. Country A can be sparsely populated like Canada. Country B is 1/10th the size but heavily populated. Citizens from B cannot trespass into A without incurring negative consequences. The aggregate natural resources of A and B are enough to feed everyone but because of those political boundaries, natural resources inside A cannot be taken by citizens of B without consent of A. So the result is that we have people falsely believes that population is out of control and that the Earth's resources are getting scarce.

I agree with you.

But since there is no alternative to national boundaries in the near future - it is better that those small nations control their population in correlation with their natural resources.
That way atleast a minimum quality of lifestyle can be maintained by all the people of that nation.

The minimum can be defined by the State as it deems fit - maybe a 500sq feet flat or a 5000sq ft flat - but assured to all.

 

[eddieInUK]

This is public housing, the rent is very cheap, does Indian poor people have this kind of apartment ? Indians can only sleep on the street.

 

[ashokdeiva]

This is public housing, the rent is very cheap, does Indian poor people have this kind of apartment ? Indians can only sleep on the street.

Thanks for reminding the fool who started this thread, there is poverty in his country too and creating a thread to take cheap shot at the other is not patriotism but bull crap.

You too have to change your reply in a diplomatic manner rather than replying in the same coin.

 

[gambit]

I agree with you.

But since there is no alternative to national boundaries in the near future - it is better that those small nations control their population in correlation with their natural resources.
That way atleast a minimum quality of lifestyle can be maintained by all the people of that nation.

The minimum can be defined by the State as it deems fit - maybe a 500sq feet flat or a 5000sq ft flat - but assured to all.

But this is neither China nor India. Agriculture is far less a problem today as it was in our grandparents' days. Concentration of wealth attracts people and migration towards wealth inevitably create stresses upon regional -- not aggregate -- resources. And of course, inefficient management of aggregate resources will compound those stresses. This article is the perfect example of that. China's wealth is currently concentrated in the coastal regions and is attracting migrant workers from inland, putting stresses on local resources, from living quarters to food supply.

The answer is not in population control, as in the misguided and cruelly executed 'one child' policy, but in making sure that wealth creating opportunities are available far and wide throughout China. Right now, China's leadership is all about China becoming a global power to replace the lost Soviet Union and to achieve present glory commensurate to the past so China need as rapid wealth generation as possible.

 

[jhungary]

Tis is not because of the population, but the sky rocketing Price of land.

My parent and my brother still have apartment in Hong Kong. You got to be rich, not just ok to buy an apartment in Hong Kong. A second hand 580 Sq ft (90 Square meter) Apartment cost 3 millions Hong Kong Dollars to buy which is roughtly 400,000 USD.

You have to be a billionares if you want to own a house in Hong Kong.

There are apartment everywhere, just not everyone can afford it. If you can't afford it, then you need to start thinking of renting one, that gonna cost you 9000 HKD (~1200 USD) per month. If you can't afford that, then you got share house, which cost you around 5000 HKD per month. If you cannot afford it then, "Cages" like those are your only choice. It cost you aroun 2000-3000 PCM.

 

[chinapakistan]

I dont think we are far from this situation in Bombay if property prices keep rising the way they are now.

We need to control population - there is simply no other way.

I think China should have fewer of these problems after say a decade as they have already made sure their population is stable.

In Bombay, the situation is much worse than HK, at least they have roof and bunk, and have food to feed them. you know the situation in Bombay...

 

[shuttler]

Even the americans are jealous at the living standards of HK. They poke fun at our folks to make their poor people feel better. Have I mentioned cheerleading indians?

The less fortunate folks in HK are being taken care of by the government for their basic needs. I
think the government is increasing tens of millions HK dollars of poverty subsidies too in the new budget year！

 

[indiatester]

This is public housing, the rent is very cheap, does Indian poor people have this kind of apartment ? Indians can only sleep on the street.

We have vast poor who do live on the streets.

Thanks for reminding the fool who started this thread, there is poverty in his country too and creating a thread to take cheap shot at the other is not patriotism but bull crap.

You too have to change your reply in a diplomatic manner rather than replying in the same coin.

Why are you getting touchy? I found this cramped housing condition which reminds that poverty anywhere sucks. I did not open it out of patriotism or other bull crap that you point. And no it was no cheap shot and I repeat, poverty sucks every where.

Even the americans are jealous at the living standards of HK. They poke fun at our folks to make their poor people feel better. Have I mentioned cheerleading indians?

No one is cheer leading here. Its just news and read it as it is. It does not talk only about the poor or the living standards of HK. It just shows that there are also these kinds of dwelling where people live. These exist in almost every country and is not reflective of the country or people or of the government.

Geez you folks are too touchy.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Population control is purely a political issue.

I came from before the Internet, that would be 'pre-historic' to you. I once read that the world's entire population can be fitted inside the Grand Canyon (US) and each person would have a 3x3x3 meters cube for living space. Now see if you can figure out why population control is purely political in scope.

That is Great News!! So we can all ship out our surplus population to the Grand Canyon in USA, problems solved........
Most of all "Political Problems" solved, if Gambit is to be believed.

 

[Contrarian]

But this is neither China nor India. Agriculture is far less a problem today as it was in our grandparents' days. Concentration of wealth attracts people and migration towards wealth inevitably create stresses upon regional -- not aggregate -- resources. And of course, inefficient management of aggregate resources will compound those stresses. This article is the perfect example of that. China's wealth is currently concentrated in the coastal regions and is attracting migrant workers from inland, putting stresses on local resources, from living quarters to food supply.

True again. But if you develop multiple center's of attraction, this flood of migrants coming all to one region gets mitigated.

That is the entire point, to have distributed growth, not one region of immense growth so that the cities are sustainable.

The answer is not in population control, as in the misguided and cruelly executed 'one child' policy, but in making sure that wealth creating opportunities are available far and wide throughout China. Right now, China's leadership is all about China becoming a global power to replace the lost Soviet Union and to achieve present glory commensurate to the past so China need as rapid wealth generation as possible.

I dont agree with China's method of forced one child policy, but you cannot dispute that it has yielded results. That said, the implications of them ageing fast is another discussion altogether.

India has followed a more natural decrease in growth rate of population and we are far less successful than China.
The current estimates are that India will achieve population stability by 2035-40.
We are far less than China in size, and will be far more in population, do you understand the kind of pressure this exerts on land resources in India. It is not a luxury for India to reduce its population, its a survival necessity.

 

[Ayush]

small indeed,but atleast better than the indian slums.

poverty

 

[Viet]

Tis is not because of the population, but the sky rocketing Price of land.

My parent and my brother still have apartment in Hong Kong. You got to be rich, not just ok to buy an apartment in Hong Kong. A second hand 580 Sq ft (90 Square meter) Apartment cost 3 millions Hong Kong Dollars to buy which is roughtly 400,000 USD.

You have to be a billionares if you want to own a house in Hong Kong.

So your family is relatively well-off as they own a flat.

Actually property prices in HK are among ones of the priciest in the world. The recent problem is due to continuing influx of Chinese mainland capital that is pushing the price higher and higher. There is a lot of speculative money under way.

There are apartment everywhere, just not everyone can afford it. If you can't afford it, then you need to start thinking of renting one, that gonna cost you 9000 HKD (~1200 USD) per month. If you can't afford that, then you got share house, which cost you around 5000 HKD per month. If you cannot afford it then, "Cages" like those are your only choice. It cost you aroun 2000-3000 PCM.

How much is PCM? you mean HK Dollar?
These cases are designed for people to sleep. They go working elsewhere.

 

[J-20]

Very good article, and these people demand a independence status too, I live there, so I know.

 

[Viet]

This is public housing, the rent is very cheap, does Indian poor people have this kind of apartment ? Indians can only sleep on the street.

In contrast the cases are NOT cheap! They cost more than normal flats if calculated in HKD per square meter.

 

[J-20]

This is public housing, the rent is very cheap, does Indian poor people have this kind of apartment ? Indians can only sleep on the street.

Are you HKer?