Dwell or No Dwell : the Global Housing Crisis

Food. Clothing. Shelter.

The trinity of our existence has always been narrowed down to food, clothing and shelter. This timeless triad is considered the very bedrock of our needs. From time immemorial, philosophers and psychologists have acknowledged these to be the fundamental elements for societal well-being. This enduring trinity has been recognised throughout history to represent the absolute minimum required to prevent the disintegration of society. At its foundation, Maslow's pyramid which highlights physiological requirements, including housing, are essential for survival. With the assurance of a stable and secure living environment, individuals can progress toward fulfilling higher-level needs such as social belonging and self-actualisation. Moreover, Locke's Philosophy adds to this by advocating for the natural property right. John Locke posited that individuals have the inherent right to acquire and possess property as an extension of their right to life and liberty. 

But, what happens if the third trinity's fundamental components fail? What fate awaits humanity when scarcity and the quest to find an adequate place to live become increasingly difficult?

When one of the essential components fails, the frailty of human lives is brought to light. and of late, this frailty has been witnessed by people across the globe. The world has been grappling with a housing crisis, one, that has forced millions to settle for poor living conditions and homelessness, the consequences of which are truly harrowing. From a decline in physical and mental health to loss of productivity and a lack of safety stemming from an increase in instances of safety hazards, poor housing conditions have a far-reaching impact on the various aspects of one's life.

Such is the case of Hong Kong, a megapolis once known for its commitment to sustainable development. The once-tourist hub has now resurfaced in the news for an absence of adequate shelter manifesting in a dire housing crisis. The nation's densely populated urban landscape, combined with a rapidly ageing population struggling to make ends meet, has forcefully led people to inhabit cramped plywood cubicles, a sad excuse for “housing”.

Among the city's spiralling living costs, “The Lucky House” is an example of the ramifications of such inadequate shelter that extends beyond the physical constraints of living quarters. The apartment has 46 sq metre (500 sq ft) rooms, with 30 residents in purpose-built plywood bunk beds (each with a sliding door).

These windowless rooms are colloquially known as coffins. With two rows of bunks, 16 bunks in each row – the housing apartment still has space for two more people. The “residents” of these “homes” often include the working poor, drug addicts, retirees, people with mental illnesses and those who are unable to keep up with the cost of maintaining a standard of living. A popular study conducted by students at the University of Hong Kong revealed that most of these buildings accommodate up to six times as many people as they were intended to raising the possibility of a disease epidemic as well as possible fire occurrences. 

The resonance of Hong Kong’s “Coffin Homes” in the East also finds an echo in the Toronto housing landscape in the West. Residents of the city have come up with a rather unconventional yet creative solution to combat the city's unreasonable property rates (nonetheless, pushing them into suboptimal conditions). In response to the soaring average cost of a one-bedroom property in Toronto, which currently stands at about $2,614 per month, renters are increasingly opting for a unique practice known as "hot bedding," where individuals share a single bed with a stranger as a strategy to alleviate the burden of high rental costs.

In a glaring contrast to these challenges, we come to Italy. The narrative shifts here as we see houses being sold for a mere euro.

This extremely strategic initiative, to revitalise towns and villages in the picturesque Italian countryside was a consequence of proactive measures to counter the depopulation the towns have faced. Buyers subscribed to restoring the hundreds of neglected homes in towns like Maenza as an effort to combat the dwindling population of the area. The “1 Euro Housing” initiative encouraged urban renewal. It acted as an economic stimulus means of supporting locals via entrepreneurial efforts and tourism owing to the media traction “houses being sold for less than the price of a burger” brought along with it. With each town having its own set of rules and regulations as to the additional purchases one must make and expenditure one must incur with the 1 euro houses, the initiative aims to establish a sustainable, healthy and thriving community.

The Italian housing landscape (while not without its complexities) presents an intriguing contrast to the housing crisis witnessed in Hong Kong and Toronto. These disparate tales, which lie hundreds of kilometres away from each other ultimately share the same denominator of a global housing crisis. 

A fundamental need and human right- shelter, is now an issue faced by the contemporary world and requires a solution that necessitates a nuanced approach which moulds itself to fit the unique challenges faced by the region.

From a state of overcrowding to that of underpopulation, the world needs to work to find a collaborative solution to one common goal- the right to dignified housing for all, the attainment of which would undoubtedly compose a brighter future for our shared society.