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sensational pictures are always nice to build a site around, but WHEN are they going to be followed by real information and links that can be fact-checked?
Anyway, in relation to this article, I have friends and relatives in Hong Kong but I don't personally know anybody who lives like this.
As far as I know, there is no minimum-wage in Hong Kong. Because there are so many shops in HK, many people work in retail and I saw a sign on my last visit that was hiring for $25HKD/hr. That's around $3.20USD. Food can be very cheap in HK, you could get a simple lunch for $10HKD, but overall, the standards of living is not really that low and one would find it difficult to live off $25/hr.
Judging by these pictures, many of the people who live in this sort of housing are middle-aged. These are the people who perhaps have lost their jobs and without high education or youth on their side, are unable to find work elsewhere.
Buying an apartment is expensive in HK, however there is government housing. The application lists are very long. I would guess that there are people here who are on these lists but are waiting until it is their turn, and without means to rent elsewhere, this is the best they can do short of sleeping under a bridge.
HK has one of the highest population densities in the world, and even then, only about a quarter of it used for living. That's why housing is so sought after and so difficult to obtain if you don't have a decent job.
taught me something today