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đŸŒ± Why Hong Kong’s Housing Crisis is a Climate Justice Issue đŸ˜ïžđŸ’„

Hong Kong’s housing crisis isn’t just about affordability—it’s a climate justice emergency. Learn how extreme heat and poor living conditions in cage homes are endangering thousands, and what needs to change.

Author

Green Glow
August 19, 2025

In a city of glass skyscrapers and billion-dollar real estate deals, it’s easy to forget that over 220,000 people in Hong Kong live in subdivided flats, illegal rooftop structures, and so-called “cage homes.” But as the city experiences record-breaking heatwaves due to climate change, these homes become more than symbols of inequality—they become sites of climate injustice.

Climate justice recognizes that while climate change affects everyone, it doesn’t affect everyone equally. In Hong Kong, this means the city’s poorest residents are baking—sometimes literally—in dangerously overheated homes, while wealthier citizens enjoy cool, air-conditioned towers.

Table of Contents

The Human Toll of a Warming City

Take Yeung Fong-yan and her grandson, who live in a rooftop tin-roofed flat in Sham Shui Po, one of the city’s poorest districts. With no elevator and a room that heats up to 36°C (96.8°F) even with the air conditioner running, daily life is a struggle. Yeung has had to cut back to one meal a day just to afford the electricity to cool their home.

Others, like 15-year-old Roy, live in windowless units that trap heat like ovens. He says he feels “cut off from the world,” battling both emotional isolation and physical ailments—a severe fever once led to facial nerve paralysis, which he blames in part on his living conditions.

These stories aren’t outliers. A 2024 survey by the Society for Community Organization (SoCO) found:

  • 83% of residents in subdivided flats had sleep issues

  • 60% experienced emotional instability

  • Over 50% had skin conditions

  • About a third reported dizziness

In some units, indoor temperatures reached 41°C (105.8°F)—higher than the temperature outside.

Climate Change Is Making Poor Housing Deadlier

Hong Kong’s subtropical climate has always been humid and hot, but the situation is getting worse. According to the Hong Kong Observatory, the number of “very hot days” (33°C or more) has jumped from 6 per year in the early 2000s to 52 in 2024. The urban heat island effect, where dense urban areas retain more heat overnight, is especially severe in low-income districts like Sham Shui Po, where buildings are packed tightly and ventilation is poor.

Without access to adequate housing, extreme heat becomes a lethal threat—not just an inconvenience. For elderly residents and children, the risks of heatstroke, dehydration, and chronic illness increase dramatically in poorly insulated homes with no air conditioning or natural airflow.

A Failure of Policy, Not Just the Weather

Despite being one of the wealthiest cities in the world, Hong Kong has consistently ranked as the most unaffordable housing market globally for 14 years. The government owns all land and releases it via auctions to private developers, prioritizing revenue over housing accessibility.

Public housing is available, but often clogged. As economist Michael Wong points out, many middle-income residents remain in public housing due to a lack of affordable alternatives, blocking access for those who need it most. This bottleneck forces low-income families into the unregulated private rental market, where conditions are often illegal or dangerous—and rent can still exceed HK$3,000 (USD $380) per month.

Policy Promises vs. Lived Reality

The government has pledged to build 30,000 “light public housing” units by 2027 and introduced 21,000 transitional homes, but these promises feel hollow to those on the ground. A proposed “Basic Housing” bill aiming to set minimum ventilation and size standards could actually make many units illegal, potentially displacing residents like Roy and his mother—who already live in precarious housing due to her lack of a Hong Kong ID.

Even Beijing has acknowledged the severity of the crisis. In 2021, Xia Baolong, head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, called for an end to cage homes by 2049. But for many residents, that timeline feels like a lifetime away.

Why This Is a Climate Justice Issue

The housing crisis in Hong Kong isn’t just an urban planning failure—it’s a climate justice emergency. When poor residents are forced to live in structures that amplify heat, when they must choose between meals and cooling, and when children are left vulnerable to illness in sweltering rooms, the issue goes beyond affordability. It becomes a matter of life, dignity, and human rights.

Climate change is intensifying inequality, and Hong Kong’s housing crisis is a potent example of how marginalized communities pay the highest price for systemic inaction.

What Needs to Happen Now

To address this dual crisis, policymakers must:

  • Accelerate public housing construction, especially units that are climate-resilient and well-ventilated.

  • Subsidize energy and water for low-income households during extreme weather events.

  • Enforce safety and livability standards—without criminalizing or evicting existing residents.

  • Prioritize climate adaptation in urban planning, including better insulation, green roofs, and ventilation in older buildings.

  • Open up public housing turnover to make room for the most vulnerable.

Conclusion

As the planet heats up, so does the urgency for equitable urban solutions. Hong Kong cannot afford to wait until 2049. Its most vulnerable residents are already bearing the brunt of climate inaction today—sleep-deprived, overheated, and without safe shelter.

Climate justice means housing justice, and until that is achieved, Hong Kong’s glittering skyline will remain a shadow over the suffering of those below.

FAQs

What is a cage home or subdivided flat in Hong Kong?

Cage homes and subdivided flats are small, often illegal living spaces carved out of larger units or built on rooftops. Many lack proper ventilation, insulation, and safety standards, and can be as small as 15 square feet.

How does climate change affect residents of cage homes?

As Hong Kong faces record-breaking heatwaves, poorly insulated homes trap heat, making indoor temperatures dangerously high. Many low-income residents cannot afford adequate cooling, leading to health issues like dehydration, heatstroke, and sleep loss.

Why is this considered a climate justice issue?

Climate justice acknowledges that vulnerable communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change. In Hong Kong, low-income residents suffer the worst effects of extreme heat due to inadequate housing, limited access to resources, and government inaction.

What is the government doing to address the crisis?

The Hong Kong government has proposed building light public housing and enacting a “Basic Housing” bill with minimum livability standards. However, progress is slow, and many fear the reforms may increase rents or displace current residents.

How many people are affected by these housing conditions?

An estimated 220,000 people in Hong Kong live in subdivided units, cage homes, or rooftop flats, mostly in low-income areas like Sham Shui Po and Kwun Tong.

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