Hong Kong, a densely populated country in the world, has a population of around 7 million. It is also one of the high-income countries, despite that, to afford a house is a big deal. For those, who are at low-ended income has little choice to find a place to live.
Cage house, kind of residence type, is originated in Hong Kong and popular since 1950. Initially, the government began to build as a residential apartment but over the period of time, the residence apartment is converted into smaller rooms in rectangular units called metal cage –stacked on top of each other – measure 6 ft by 2.5ft. And provided accommodation to those who couldn’t afford standard rent.
Location of this type of residence is usually in older buildings and in the urban area. Nevertheless, cage house is often attributed to the dark side of wealthy metropolitan.
5. The Cage House began to exist in Hong Kong in the 1950s, to accommodate Mainland Chinese immigrants who escaped civil war.
4. In one room, usually occupies 5-6 people with the size of one cage (2 × 0,5 meters). This metal cage is rented for HK $ 1,500-2,000 (US$200- US$255).
3. The poor living there must be willing to share many things. In one room, they usually use a shared bucket to wash their clothes interchangeably. For entertainment, they will watch TV together provided in the corridors of the room.
2. Today, the cage house is still filled with immigrants, elders, unemployed, and those who do odd jobs. With their economic conditions, they do not have a decent housing option to live in Hong Kong.
1. The number of people living in the cage house increases from year to year. The data says, in 2007, there had been 50,000 people living there. Apparently, the population level has risen sharply to 200,000 by 2016.
Author: Adam Nicholas