Unhealthy housing experiences of subdivided unit tenants in the world’s most unaffordable city

The association between housing and health is widely concerning; however, few studies exist about the mechanisms linking housing and health to a global city with extremely high housing costs and tiny living areas. In Hong Kong, despite an increasing population living in subdivided units, the impact of tiny living areas on resident health has not been sufficiently researched. The purpose of this study is to further explore the experiences of residents living in subdivided units to understand how housing elements influence physical and mental health. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with subdivided unit residents in Hong Kong. This study extends a theoretical framework of housing impact on health (based on the Four Cs) to the Five Cs: (1) cost, (2) condition, (3) consistency, (4) context, (5) constitution. The results indicated that high rent prices, small living areas, poor environments, and precarious situations severely impacted the physical and mental health of residents.

© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2023