East Asia

Homelessness Reportedly Rising in Hong Kong

Published FEB 15 2023

Story

Image credit: Al Jazeera

The Facts

According to an Al Jazeera report, homelessness is soaring in Hong Kong and even rising to "emergency" levels according to charity ImpactHK.
Al Jazeera
The pandemic has worsened the homelessness problem in Hong Kong, and charity ImpactHK founder Jefferey Rotmeyer stated one-in-five people are "experiencing food insecurity."
Al Jazeera
While ImpactHK has helped 500 people get into shelters, Rotmeyer says the problem is beyond the capacity of non-governmental organizations. Since the pandemic, Hong Kong's female homeless population has doubled, with the overall homeless rate jumping 25%.
Wirefan
According to Hong Kong's Social Welfare Dept., 1.5K people registered as "street sleepers" from 2021-22. Reasons include lack of affordable housing, unemployment, family issues, being recently discharged from prison, and drug addiction.
Wirefan
A 2022 Oxfam report showed that the pandemic worsened Hong Kong's wealth gap, with the richest now making up to 50 times what the poorest make. As the number of people struggling grows, Rotmeyer says the "healthcare system is ill-equipped" to deal with mental illnesses like "schizophrenia, psychosis, depression, and even Alzheimer’s."
Al Jazeera
Because COVID travel restrictions blocked residents' ability to travel in and out of Hong Kong for work, homelessness in 2021 reached a 10-year high of 1,581 in 2021, which was 3% higher than in 2020 and 17% higher than 2019.
Bangkok Post

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The Spin

Anti-China narrative

China's COVID restrictions are the root of Hong Kong's homelessness phenomenon. Much of the problem began in the wake of the 2019 anti-China protests, after which the economy took a downturn. Since the pandemic hit and China locked the city down, Hong Kong's tragic poverty and homeless issues have only worsened.

Examiner

Pro-China narrative

Despite attempts by the West to paint China as the culprit, causes of homelessness such as mental illness have been prioritized by the PRC government for over a century. Because Hong Kong faces a renewed mental health crisis, Chinese-led universities, researchers, and doctors are implementing state-of-the-art programs to dutifully combat growing concerns and help the residents most at risk.

China Daily