Fung, 59, who prefers not to divulge his full name, lives in an illegal rooftop sluma 75-square-feet shack just big enough to host a bed, a cupboard, and everyday knick-knacks thrown pell-mell in the dusty room. The rent costs $1,700 Hong Kong dollars (US$220) a month.
Local authorities have been taping eviction notices on his front door for the past month, saying that he has to move out. But with high property prices and hundreds of thousands waiting for public housing in Hong Kong, Fung, has no other places to go.
“I won’t accept the relocation settlement scheme — it’s only a few thousand Hong Kong dollars. Where am I going to live? The rent is a lot cheaper here,” he says as he crumples the latest notice.
The authorities offer a relocation settlement for rooftop residents, to Fung — it is too meager. Most people in his position don’t have a stable income to start again elsewhere.
The rooftop slums in Hong Kong expose one of the most bewildering facets of Asia’s self-described “world city.” Majestic skyscrapers loom over peeling, overcrowded apartment blocks with their unofficial rooftop extensions.
Clearing out
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Fung, a rooftop dweller
“Of course I don’t want to live here forever,” says Ngan, pausing to speak during her homework. “I hope we can move into public housing after living here for seven years, but the wait will be long.”
When construction worker Fung was asked about his future plans after his imminent eviction, he just chuckled.
“I’ll think about that when they really come and tear this down. If I can live here for one more day, I’ll continue to stay here.” he says.
READ MORE: Hong Kong’s poorest living in ‘coffin homes’
