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Coronavirus pandemic
Hong KongSociety

No more cross-border commuting: as coronavirus pandemic brings Hongkongers back from mainland, some end up homeless, jobless, needing help

  • Mandatory quarantine restrictions end freedom to live in Shenzhen, work in Hong Kong
  • Most homeless returnees surveyed by NGO are male, divorced, separated or single

Reading Time:5 minutes
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Chu Lui, who lived in Shenzhen and worked in Hong Kong before the coronavirus pandemic, in his room at Chungking Mansions, Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Nora Tam
Fiona Sun
Before the coronavirus pandemic struck, Hongkonger Chu Lui, 49, lived in Shenzhen and travelled to Hong Kong every day to work as a chef.
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The divorced father of two moved to the mainland city alone in 2016, drawn by its low cost of living. The 900 sq ft two-bedroom flat he rented there cost about HK$2,800 (US$361) a month, whereas the going rate for a comparable flat on Hong Kong Island would be about HK$35,000 a month on average.

“That was worth it. Life was stable,” he says. He did not mind commuting about two hours in the morning and again at night, with monthly travel costs of about HK$2,000.

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“Every night I returned home, took a shower and had a beer. I felt relaxed there,” he says.

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Hongkongers left stranded after border between Hong Kong and mainland China practically shut down

Hongkongers left stranded after border between Hong Kong and mainland China practically shut down

But the pandemic disrupted life for Chu and Hongkongers such as him, who used to cross the border every day.

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