Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Hong Kong's 20-square-foot 'coffin homes' reveal the terrifying scope of a housing crisis

Chris WellerAug 26, 2024, 04:42 IST

Damir Sagolj/ReutersAs housing prices continue to soar in Hong Kong, some residents are taking anything they can get - even if that means living in a so-called "coffin home."

At least 200,000 people live in these homes, which measure just 4'x6' and sit stacked one top of the other in cramped apartment buildings. Ladders line the halls to help people get into the upper-level units. The starting rent is around $180 a month.

Hong Kong's chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, has called this housing crisis "the gravest potential hazard" to society, as only 7% of the city's land is zoned for housing.

Here's what life is like inside.