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Hong Kong logs highest temperature of year so far, poll finds low-income residents swelter

  • Survey of residents of subdivided flats or cage homes reports emotional instability, insomnia, dizziness and struggles with utility bills

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A resident of a subdivided unit at Sham Shui Po uses three fans to cool his flat. Photo: Yik Yeung-man
Wynna Wong
As Hong Kong hit record high temperatures for the year on Sunday, a poll found that low-income residents of subdivided flats or cage homes reported a slew of health problems and struggles with utility bills amid the hot weather.

Survey results from the non-profit Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) released on Sunday showed that 90 per cent of those who lived in subdivided flat and cage homes were experiencing health issues caused by the recent extreme heat, including emotional instability, insomnia, dizziness and skin problems.

The extreme heat could be felt even at night, according to 95 per cent of respondents.
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SoCO deputy director Sze Lai-shan explained that “subdivided flats, cage homes and rooftop structures act like ‘ovens’ during the hot summer”, as materials with high thermal conductivity such as iron sheets and aluminium plates were common in such homes, which also lacked ventilation.

She added indoor temperatures could hit 41 degrees Celsius, higher than outdoor temperatures, in such places.

Subdivided units with iron sheets as rooftops, which turn them into “ovens” during the summer, according to the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO). Photo: Elson Li
Subdivided units with iron sheets as rooftops, which turn them into “ovens” during the summer, according to the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO). Photo: Elson Li

Cage homes are tiny boxlike quarters stacked from floor to ceiling and partitioned by thin wooden boards or mesh wire.

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