Doomed to fail? Hong Kong’s attempt to tackle ‘shoebox housing’ runs into trouble
Authorities are seeking to fix the city’s problem of tiny, overcrowded housing but critics say the new regulations fail to capture the worst offenders
Lai Shan Zse moves quickly, bounding up the grungy, dimly lit stairwell of the unit block in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok district. The social worker knocks on a door and announces her arrival, moves into a tiny entranceway and past the tiled kitchenette from where an elderly lady waves, and into a skinny hall lined with what look like plywood cupboards. They are in fact individual units, Hong Kong’s infamous “coffin homes”, housing dozens of tenants in spaces not much larger than a single bed, stacked two high to the ceiling.
Sze, the deputy director of civil rights group the Society for Community Organization (Soco), taps on a couple of the doors, a pile of paper topped with a hastily sketched map of residents scrunched in her other hand. A few faces emerge, and she hands out information sheets, and checks the names of residents she hadn’t previously registered.
Continue reading...
Read more at The Guardian
Topics
-
Men's Bracketology: UNC is in tourney trouble ... again
For yet another year, the Tar Heels' underwhelming start has them on the fringes of the tournament field.ESPN - 11h -
How an FBI Sting Stopped a Russian Smuggler but Not His Hong Kong Supply Route
The case showed how difficult it is to stanch the flow of equipment to Russia through China, which the U.S. accuses of helping Moscow sustain the military production it needs to continue the war.The Wall Street Journal - 2d -
Hong Kong’s Cabbies, Long Scorned and Frustrated, Face the End of an Era
A government push to modernize taxi services comes up against the habits of drivers known for driving fast and accepting only cash.The New York Times - 1h -
Dash names new coach Gautrat in rebuild attempt
The Houston Dash named Fabrice Gautrat as their new head coach on Friday.ESPN - 1d -
U.S. House ushers in a tiny Republican majority to tackle enormous tasks in 2025
A new Congress starts Friday with a long to-do list for Donald Trump’s second term: keeping the government open, raising the debt ceiling, immigration and taxes.NBC News - 1d -
Europe needs to tackle its red tape problem
Complex overlapping rules and burdensome reporting requirements are strangling EU growthFinancial Times - 2d -
I Audited the Afghan Reconstruction. It Was Doomed From the Start.
Greed and self-delusion kept the money flowing, and hid the truth from the public.The New York Times - 3d -
Home is where your attempts to escape cease – and at a bar in New York, I stopped running | Mona Eltahawy
After an attack by riot police in Cairo, I returned to the US with both arms in plaster, and found there would always be a place at the table for me. In our end of year series, writers and public ...The Guardian - 3d
More from The Guardian
-
Hamas releases video it says is of Israeli hostage held in Gaza since 2023 attack
Family of now 19-year-old conscript Liri Albag appeals to PM to ‘take decisions as if it were your own children there’. The armed wing of Hamas has released a video it says is of an Israeli hostage ...The Guardian - 11h -
Coalition talks between Austria’s two biggest centrist parties collapse
Chancellor Karl Nehammer to step down after failure to form government without far-right Freedom party. Talks between the two biggest centrist parties in Austria on forming a coalition government ...The Guardian - 9h -
Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy reports ‘significant’ Russian, North Korean troop losses in Kursk
In nightly video address Zelenskyy says Russian and North Korean forces suffered heavy losses in fighting in southern Russian region. What we know on day 1,046. See all our Ukraine war ...The Guardian - 4h -
Marlon Brando fury at ‘feeling like a freak’ among revelations in new book of Hollywood secrets
Brando, Ava Gardner, Anita Ekberg and other A-listers are featured in a memoir about the glamour of the 1950s film industry . Marlon Brando was the original angry young man, winning an Oscar for ...The Guardian - 19h -
Prince William ‘shocked and saddened’ by death of British man in New Orleans attack
Edward Pettifer, stepson of princes’ former nanny, was one of 14 killed in New Year’s Day truck attack. The Prince of Wales has said he is shocked and saddened by the death of his former nanny’s ...The Guardian - 15h
More in World
-
'Our county ignored Africa,' Jimmy Carter said. He didn't
Jimmy Carter was the first U_S_ president to make a state visit to sub-Saharan Africa, declaring “the day of the so-called ugly American is over.”ABC News - 42m -
A Weakened Iran Prepares to Face Trump 2.0
Tehran is bracing for a tough confrontation with the incoming Trump administration while holding a weak hand after setbacks in 2024.The Wall Street Journal - 1h -
Is liquid air the new gold in energy storage?
Pressure will be on to reduce costs significantly if liquid air is to become mainstreamFinancial Times - 1h -
Faith and fashion: conservative Iranian women revamp hijab rules
Defiance of headscarves accompanied by growing demand for stylish options among those following Islamic republic’s dress codeFinancial Times - 1h -
UK altnets count cost of ‘gold rush’ end after collective losses surpass £1bn
Alternative network providers under pressure to demonstrate they can be profitable businesses not just buildersFinancial Times - 1h