Housing need of youth : a case study of young singletons living in inadequate housing in Hong Kong

Abstract

Housing problems faced by Young people is not a new research topic. Yet, minimal focus has been put on Young singletons who moved out from parental home, let alone those who have chosen to live in inadequate housing. It is a significant phenomenon which worth studying, as the existence of inadequate housing is a social problem itself – it contravenes building regulations, fire safety rules, land lease conditions, and create safety and health hazards to its residents. The causes and living conditions of the young singletons for living in inadequate housing should be alerted.

Among the residents living in inadequate housing, there is a magnificent number of young people, aged from 18-35. They are single, highly educated, and with stable jobs. They move out because they want to adopt a free life, pursue for an individual lifestyle, and they want to cohabit with their friends or partners. Nevertheless, the housing need of this group of young singletons have been marginalized by the government, and even by the public, as under the traditional belief of Chinese Society, parents do no support their children to move out from their parental home before marriage. In objection to their children’s decision on moving out, few of them provide financial support to their kids’ accommodation. With high housing price in private housing market, these group of youngster turn to more affordable housing choice, the inadequate housing.

This paper attempts to understand the housing need of young singletons living in inadequate housing – to what extend their personal beliefs and values, financial status, present living conditions, relationship with their family, their anticipated housing criteria as well as their expectation towards future housing attainment, have affected their housing need. Furthermore, the causes for them to live in inadequate housing, their existing living conditions, and their expectation on future housing attainment will be studied. Whether the Youth hostel is a possible solution to combat the rapid increase of inadequate housing will as well be discussed.

It was found that, despite the objection they faced from their family, their limited economic resources, high educational attainment and stable jobs, the interviewees are not forced but to choose living in Inadequate housing in order to leave parental home, and to do what they really want, for instance, cohabit with their friends or partners. Their perceived living conditions are not as bad as the literature has described, even though the flats are extremely small, the housing criteria of these young singletons are not strict. All they need is an accommodation which they perceived as a safe place with affordable rent, so they can do what they want. Most of them do not have plans on future housing attainment, and they regarded the place they are living are favorable and can satisfy their present housing need. Living in IH in Hong Kong does not have obvious negative effect on their self-images and self-esteem. They just wish to seek their own way of living.

Some argue that the government is not obligated to help this group of young singletons as these youngsters genuinely like their accommodation, and they could ‘move back to their parental home’. Yet, everyone should have their own rights to choose their own way to live and their right to live in affordable and legal housing. In macro level, the problems caused by the rapid development of inadequate housing have damaged the image of the city. The fatal case caused in the fire of Fa Yuen Street in 2011 was due to the irregulation of fire rules in inadequate housing. The problem should arouse the attention of the government and the public – the rapid development of IH should not be tolerated and actions need to be done to combat IH.

Nevertheless, from the data collected, building more Youth Hostel is not a feasible solution for combating IH, amendments on existing policy and new scheme is hence suggested in this study.