Bobby Yip/Reuters
Simon Wong, 61, is one of thousands living in so-called "coffin homes" in Hong Kong.
Wong, a 61-year-old Hong Kong resident, is one of a growing number of citizens forced into so-called "coffin homes," 20-square-foot cages that offer just enough space to lie down and hang a few shirts and pairs of pants.
His monthly rent of $226 would be $4 a roomy one-bedroom apartment in many American towns (though admittedly it would only be enough to rent a closet in big cities like New York City and San Francisco). Instead, his living space measures just 4'x6'.
Bobby Yip/Reuters
Simon Wong smokes a cigarette inside his 4'x6' coffin home in Hong Kong.
People like Wong are casualties of that affordable-housing scarcity. The government estimates some 200,000 people live in coffin homes, but as a spokesperson for the Society for Community Organization $4, the true number could be much higher.
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Tyrone Siu/Reuters
A Hong Kong woman prepares food in the 60-square-foot Hong Kong apartment she shares with her son.
His only luxury may be that he's single. Unlike people living with family members or spouses, he doesn't have to negotiate scarce resources like food or privacy. Some families have no choice but to live in subdivided housing, meaning a father and daughter could live in one room while the mother and son live down the hall.
Wong, meanwhile, is free to watch TV or smoke a cigarette within the confines of his box at all hours of the day.
Hong Kong has announced plans to build more affordable homes over the next decade. By 2027, it plans to add 280,000 public homes and 180,000 private homes.
But in the meantime, many residents have no choice but to move into increasingly smaller homes, even if it means sacrificing every last creature comfort for a roof over their heads.