Housing is a basic living necessity of humans. According to the United Nations, everyone is entitled the right to adequate housing. However, housing in Hong Kong are extravagant. In view of skyrocketing property prices, homes in Hong Kong are far from affordable for the lower class. Grassroots in Hong Kong, especially those who are single, can barely find an adequate and affordable shelter, contributing to increased homelessness. More homeless choose to live in 24-hour McDonalds' chains, namely McRefugees, due to unpleasant living conditions in coffin cubicles and cage homes.

1. McRefugees Soar
With Rising
Property Prices
Yale University Symposium
Multimedia News Presentation
_________________________________

2. Housing in Hong Kong

3. From Census and Statistics Department in 2018,
Public rental housing in HK only consisted of 30%

4. From Transport and Housing Bureau’s Housing in Figures 2018,
45.4% of domestic population
lived in public housing in 2017

5. Allocation quota = 2,200 per year
Til 2018/19,
the number of applications is 117,500
Non-elderly single-person application
NEEDS 53.4 YEARS

6. According to Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey (2018),
Hong Kong has the least
affordable housing worldwide
for 8 years consecutively

7. According to Analysis of Average Rent of Second-hand property June/2018
(conducted by Centaline Property),
Average private housing rent: $36.9HKD /sq ft

8. Using a Single-room flat as
an example...
Bedroom
Dining
room
Open
Kitchen
Monthly rent:
$12650 HKD
343sq ft

9. According to the Population By-census 2016,
Median of income of one-person households
is $9800 HKD

10. 1. Subdivided living units
2. Increase of homeless people
Emergence of undesirable social phenomena

11. What are the housing choices of
low-income single households?

12. Shoebox flats

13. Cage Homes

14. Coffin Cubicles

15. Toilet
Entrance
Windows
Room
Room
Room
Room
Room
Garbage

16. Other types of alternative housing

17. Subdivided Flats

18. Space Capsule

19. Increase of homeless people

20. From 2016/17 to 2017/18,
Registered street sleepers had risen from
924
to
1127
(21.9%)

21. According to Homeless Outreach Population Estimation HK 2015
Homeless individuals staying in 24-hour restaurants increased from
57
to
256
(3.5 times)
from 2005 to 2015

22. Overview of Findings
Unpleasant living environment
is the major cause of resting in McDonald’s
instead of coffin cubicles in Hong Kong

23. Interviews
● Visited over ten McDonald’s branches
and interviewed various stakeholders
● Two field trips:
1. Went to the McDonald’s in Ngau
Tau Kok (11 Jan 2019)
2. Went to the McDonald’s in Shek
Kip Mei (13 Jan 2019)

24. Interviews
Grassroot citizens:
● McRefugee 76-year-old Mr. Ho
● McRefugee Mr Chan (anonymous)
● Friend of McRefugee Ms Lau
Representatives of grassroot organizations:
● Fixing Hong Kong: Max
● Concerning Grassroots' Housing Rights Alliance: Ms Yam
● Christian Concern For The Homeless Association: Olivia

25. CHALLENGES FACED BY SINGLETONS
“I applied for public housing at the age of 69. I asked the social workers
at the Hospital Authority to help review my application. A month after I
sought help, I was finally allocated a flat. I am now 76,” (Ho)
“I had been waiting for 7 years,”(Ho)

26. CHALLENGES FACED BY SINGLETONS
“It is difficult for single-person households to afford an apartment. They
cannot benefit from public housing policies and their salaries do not
increase much. With the surge in rents, people move from suites to
subdivided units, to cubicle apartments, then to coffins and cage homes,”
“It is an endless cycle,” (Max)

27. WHY MAY SINGLETONS BECOME HOMELESS?
❖ HIGH RENTS
Rent of subdivided units: $40 HKD → $50 HKD/ sq ft (Yam)
“ It usually cost ⅓ of their income for a tiny bed space.” (Yam)

28. WHY MAY MCDONALD’S BE A CHOICE FOR THE HOMELESS?
❖ UNFRIENDLY POLICIES
“The staff would pour water onto the people sleeping in parks, which also
made their cardboards wet. The long benches are re-designed to be with
handles so they couldn’t rest. Sleepers near the entrance of pedestrian
subways were also expelled,” (Yam)

29. ❖ DIGNITY
“It’s related to their identity.” ;
“Comparing with sleeping on streets, it is less obvious for others to
recognize them as the homeless,” (Olivia)
WHY MAY MCDONALD’S BE A CHOICE FOR THE HOMELESS?

30. SITUATION OF MCREFUGEES
Concerning Grassroots' Housing Rights Alliance estimates that,
“As of 2019, the number of McRefugees has increased to 1000.
There are 5 McRefugees in each branch on average.” (Yam)

31. The personal belongings of McRefugees are packed in large bags.
Taken in the McDonald’s in Ngau Tau Kok (11 Jan 2019)

32. McRefugees are resting in fast food restaurants.
Taken in the McDonald’s in Shek Kip Mei (14 Jan 2019)

33. - FINDINGS FROM INTERVIEWS -

34. CHOICE OF GOING TO MCDONALDS
1. Unacceptable environment of their living space
“A tiny space is sectioned into many separate coffin cubicles. Some living units
are with poor ventilation and stuffy air. Divided by wooden planks, the apartments
are heavily invested with bed bugs. That’s why these households may choose to
live under the bridge and recently they sleep in McDonald’s,” (Max)

35. (a) Hygiene
“I have rented a cubicle apartment. There are many bed bugs on my bed
and it’s hard to get rid of them…So I have always been searching for
places to sleep,” (Chan)
“To save up space, the toilet is placed just next to bed,” (Chan)
● Cleaning of common areas, shared toilets

36. (b) Ventilation
● The lack of windows
“It was so poorly ventilated that it was almost unbreathable,” (Lau)
● Many people crammed in a room

37. (c) Disturbance
● People working on shift
“Neighbors taking up night shifts always complain us for disturbing their
sleep. The noises of opening and shutting the doors are annoying. There are
also tenants who are patients and need to rest in the morning,” (Chan)

38. OTHER PROBLEMS TENANTS FACE
2. Safety
“Our survey found that 30% of female tenants have experienced
sexual harassment before. When they went heading to bathroom, their
male neighbours kept staring at them. This made them feel uncomfortable.
Some even tried to open the door while they were showering,” (Yam)

39. OTHER PROBLEMS TENANTS FACE
3. Convenience
“I sleep overnight in McDonald’s for a few days each week. It’s very
convenient. They’ve got food, warm water and toilets... It’s also nearer to
the clinic I usually visit. I have asthma. I don’t have to walk up and down
stairs to reach the subdivided flat I rent,” (Ho)

40. OTHER PROBLEMS TENANTS FACE
4. Overcharging utilities by landlords
“There is only one meter recording the use of electricity and water by
different households in the flat. Landlords collect fees from their
tenants using their own means. This is a serious issue.” (Max)

41. OTHER PROBLEMS TENANTS FACE
5. Quarrels with other tenants
“Electricity fees are equally shared among different households. But it
will easily lead to monetary disputes.
Sometimes, the tenant responsible for fee collection may overcharge his
neighbours so that he could pay less,” (Yam)

42. According to Survey by Alliance for Social Protection of Low Income Families (2016),
Each unit of electricity costs around $1.1-1.2 HKD,
but 95% cannot pay directly to electric companies
and 50% are charged $1.6 HKD by landlords

43. IS LIVING ENVIRONMENT
THE MOST IMPORTANT CAUSE
OF BEING A MCREFUGEE?

44. ❖ UNAFFORABLE RENT
“There isn’t a choice. The housing is so unaffordable,” (Ho)
“The income of singletons who are queuing for public housing is $11,000
HKD. They pay $3,000 HKD to rent a cubicle apartment. Adding the
expenses of utilities and necessities, the total costs consist of one-
third of their salaries,” (Yam)

45. PEOPLE STILL REST IN MCDONALD’S
EVEN THOUGH
THEY HAVE RENTED AN ACCOMMODATION

46. ❖ UNPLEASANT LIVING ENVIRONMENT
Survey by Junior Chamber International Tai Ping Shan (JCI) in 2018 showed,
71% of McRefugees
had flats that they rented or owned
“The Mcrefugees we usually see just carry a small bag with them. It is
sensible that they do have a living place. (Yam)

47. “I usually stay at McDonald’s till midnight and return to my place at 3-
4a.m,” (Chan)
“The bed bugs kept biting them all night. They couldn’t sleep at all.,”
(Yam)
❖ UNPLEASANT LIVING ENVIRONMENT

48. Conclusion

49. Poor living condition is A MORE PROMINENT FACTOR
than high housing rent

50. New discoveries
e.g. dignity, convenience are also reasons contributing to
the problem of McRefugees

51. References
Analysis on the Average Rent in Second-handed Housing. (2018, August). Retrieved from Centaline Property:
http://hk.centanet.com/home/ArticleTemplate4.aspx?id=83458
Bloomberg. (2018, January 22). Hong Kong Takes Title for Least Affordable Housing for 8th Year. Retrieved from
Bloomberg:https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-22/hong-kong-takes-title-for-least-affordable-
housing-for-8th-year
I Care Programme The Chinese University of Hong Kong & City-Youth Empowerment Project Department of Applied
Social Science City University of Hong Kong. . (2016). Homeless Outreach Population Estimation Hong Kong
2015.
Junior Chamber International (JCI) Tai Ping Shan. (2018, August). https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/06/asia/hong-
kong-mcdonalds-sleepers-intl/index.html.
Li Ching Fung. (2017, July 10). "Alliance for Social Protection of Low Income Families" Consultation Submission.
Retrieved from Legislative Council: https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr16-
17/chinese/panels/ws/papers/ws20170710cb2-1825-8-c.pdf

52. References
Legislative Council. (2015, April 15). Refined Quota and Points System for public rental housing. Retrieved from Press
Release of Legislative Council: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201504/15/P201504150348.htm
Ng, N. (2018, April 1). Alone and desperate, the single Hongkongers left to wait years for public housing. Retrieved from
South China Morning Post: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2139848/alone-and-
desperate-single-hongkongers-left-wait-years
Oriental Daily. (2018, February 10). Oriental Daily. Retrieved from Supply of Public Housing Fails to Meet Demands, The
Poor Are Forced to Live in Cage Homes: http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20180210/00176_142.html
Panel on Welfare Services . (2017, February 3). Support services for street sleepers . Retrieved from Updated
background brief prepared by the Legislative Council Secretariat for the meeting on 13 February 2017:
https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr16-17/english/panels/ws/papers/ws20170213cb2-743-6-e.pdf
Society for Community Organization. (2018, April 1). 2017/18 Non-elderly Single-person Households Living Condition
Survey.