Understanding Homelessness in Hong Kong: Population Evidence, Service Responses, and Lived Experiences

Homelessness in Hong Kong has been examined from multiple perspectives over the past decade, yet rapid socio‑economic changes and evolving service responses call for an updated and integrative assessment. This study provides a comprehensive review of homelessness in Hong Kong by synthesizing existing academic literature, policy documents, and service provision frameworks, alongside updated population information and preliminary empirical findings from recent homeless interviews. First, the paper reviews key strands of local homelessness research, highlighting dominant explanatory frameworks, methodological approaches, and identified gaps. Second, it examines the current landscape of homelessness-related services in Hong Kong, including outreach, emergency support, welfare access, and non‑housing interventions, and discusses how service priorities and practices have evolved in recent years. Drawing on updated population information and preliminary qualitative findings from ongoing interviews with homeless individuals, the study further explores emerging patterns in pathways into homelessness, service engagement, and everyday survival strategies. Preliminary findings suggest increasing heterogeneity within the homeless population, changes in service utilisation patterns, and persistent structural barriers related to housing access and employment precarity. By bringing together literature review, service analysis, and early empirical insights, this study aims to provide an updated evidence base to inform future homelessness research and policy discussions in high‑density urban contexts such as Hong Kong.