A recent survey conducted by the Society for Community Organization (SoCO) revealed that over 90 per cent of children living in inadequate housing in Hong Kong have experienced spinal health issues. The cramped living conditions in subdivided flats are causing children to suffer from bad posture due to the lack of proper desks to work on. This has led to degenerative spinal issues, with many children developing conditions like scoliosis.
During the survey period, 503 children aged between seven and 18 from low-income families were interviewed, with 82 per cent of them living in subdivided flats ranging from 5 to 18.5 square metres. It is estimated that there are around 50,000 children under 18 living in such inadequate housing in Hong Kong, including cubicle homes.
Of the children who received spinal examinations, 93.6 per cent were found to have mild or serious spinal conditions, with some even suspected to have developed scoliosis. The majority of families surveyed reported that their children did not have their own desk or fixed workspace, and many did not even have their own bed to sleep in.
SoCO has emphasized that these living conditions are a serious violation of children’s rights to housing and to grow up healthily. Deputy Director Sze Lai-shan has urged the government to prioritize families with children under 12 years of age in the public housing queue, not just newborns.
In response to the housing crisis, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee introduced a cash handout scheme aimed at boosting the city’s birth rate. This initiative also included housing incentives for families with newborns in the public housing queue, reducing their wait times by a year. As of September, around 2,300 public housing applications have had their wait times reduced.
The findings of this survey highlight the urgent need for better housing conditions for children in Hong Kong. It is crucial for the government to prioritize families with children in public housing allocation to ensure that every child has a safe and healthy environment to grow up in.
