Ricky Chu Man-kinandJo Hayes

Opinion | Hong Kong must remove barriers to affordable, adequate housing

Inequality of access to decent housing is both a global and local issue, as the pandemic and climate change worsen social disparities

In Hong Kong, we need to recognise that housing is not so much a commodity as a fundamental right, to address the problems facing marginalised groups

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A view of a Housing Authority project in Diamond Hill on July 5. As the government works to build more public housing, the city needs to strengthen equal access to affordable and adequate housing for low-income households and marginalised groups. Photo: Sam Tsang

Ricky Chu Man-kinandJo Hayes

Published: 4:00pm, 3 Oct 2022

“Leave No One Behind” is the North Star guiding the United Nations’ drive for progress across a series of sustainable development goals aimed at achieving peace and prosperity for all people. Seven years have passed since 2015, when 193 countries committed to eradicating extreme poverty and inequality.

However, global stressors, such as the coronavirus pandemic and the accelerating effects of climate change, have exacerbated existing economic and social disparities in cities everywhere and further prevented vulnerable and excluded individuals, households and communities from accessing adequate housing.

October 3 is World Habitat Day and this year’s theme is “Mind the Gap. Leave No One and No Place Behind”. Around the world, people are acknowledging the state of inequality in cities and widening social and economic gaps – themes that resonate here in Hong Kong, which is regularly ranked as the world’s least affordable housing market. The income disparity between rich and poor in Hong Kong has only been rising. Given today’s economic reality, affordable and adequate housing is still out of reach for many.

World Habitat Day is an opportune occasion to be reminded that housing woes hurt some vulnerable communities more than others. One should be particularly mindful of the barriers, both physical and otherwise, that some segments of the population face in this regard.

People with disabilities often have difficulties navigating their built environment and may require adaptations and assistance to get around. It is with this in mind that the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has been active in advocating for universal design principles to facilitate independent access for all people, particularly those with disabilities.

Universal design can be described as designing for use by everyone, to the greatest extent possible, rather than designing for the average user. Using universal design principles reduces the need for assistive technology and makes products more usable by all people, not just those with disabilities but also senior citizens, carers of young children and pregnant women.

This issue has gained urgency given the city’s rapidly ageing population. It is a requirement that town planners, developers and architects can no longer ignore.

Opinion | Hong Kong must remove barriers to affordable, adequate housing

Inequality of access to decent housing is both a global and local issue, as the pandemic and climate change worsen social disparities In Hong Kong, we need to recognise that housing is not so much a commodity as a fundamental right, to address the problems facing marginalised groups

Inequality of access to decent housing is both a global and local issue, as the pandemic and climate change worsen social disparities

In Hong Kong, we need to recognise that housing is not so much a commodity as a fundamental right, to address the problems facing marginalised groups