What was the timeline and larger social and economic context of the migration patterns into and out of Hong Kong? What effects did these have on the housing conditions, and the demand for public housing? How were the rooftop homes then allocated and by whom? These were the types of questions I was starting to ask to understand why the rooftop slums have come to exist in Hong Kong.
With the timeline of migrations in place, I began to consider how the rise in population and its snowball effect on the housing crisis plays a role in the existence of the rooftop communities. I found that the current waitlist for public housing in Hong Kong is greater than 150,000 people which is a large factor in why people in Hong Kong seek rooftop dwellings as an alternative. But how then are these temporary "homes" allocated and who actually owns them?
Through speaking with Dr.Ernest Chui, I discovered that the rooftops have a very specific ownership structure. The residents on the top floor of buildings in Hong Kong have right to the rooftop space above and are free to do with this space as they choose. Many of these residents, therefore, seek to make a higher income by creating a rooftop structure and renting it out. From here, I felt it was time to understand the building typologies so I knew what I was looking for when I go to Hong Kong.
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