[即時新聞]171104-Hong Kong's poor live in homes smaller than prison cells

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A new study shows there are poor people in Hong Kong who live in tiny homes. A housing group found that 204 families in one area live in homes that are smaller than prison cells. The average space per person was 4.6 square meters. This is about the size of three toilet cubicles, or half the size of a car parking space. The average size of a cell for Hong Kong's maximum security prisoners is 50 per cent bigger than the size of the homes in the study. A 2016 report stated that over 65 per cent of Hong Kong families live in homes that are between 7 and 14 square meters.

Hong Kong has some of the world's most expensive homes. An average person has to save for 18 years to buy a tiny home. A member of the housing group told reporters how unhappy people are about living in such small homes. He said: "It is completely unacceptable and inhumane that the living area for people is the same as for prisoners in such a prosperous city like Hong Kong." Another resident said the tiny room for her husband and six-year-old son only has a bed, a closet and a small table. She said: "The bathroom is so small we have to sit sideways to go to the toilet."