Living in a Shoebox in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the wealthiest cities on Earth — yet behind its iconic skyline, hundreds of thousands of people live in homes smaller than a parking space.

This documentary goes inside Hong Kong’s “shoebox” apartments: subdivided flats and nano-units where every movement is constrained by walls measured in centimeters. Through the daily routine of one resident, we examine what life is really like inside these spaces — how people cook, sleep, work, and adapt when privacy, ventilation, and safety are scarce.

00:00 – Hong Kong’s wealth vs hidden housing reality
00:31 – Measuring a shoebox home: life in under 8 m²
01:15 – Nano flats and the illusion of “efficient living”
02:14 – Cooking, storage, and daily movement inside the box
03:17 – Laundry, hygiene, and ventilation challenges
04:06 – Who lives in shoebox apartments?
05:23 – Students, workers, families, and the elderly
05:50 – How Hong Kong’s land policy shapes housing size
06:28 – Developer incentives and shrinking apartments
07:15 – Rent burden and affordability pressure
07:56 – Fire risk and safety failures in subdivided units
08:36 – Housing tragedies and their lasting impact
08:44 – New regulations and minimum size rules
09:33 – Legal vs illegal housing: who is left behind
10:08 – Over 220,000 people living below car-park size
10:22 – When housing becomes a commodity, not a home

Watch our other videos on extreme housing:

Life in a 9m² Tokyo Apartment
   • Life in a 9m² Tokyo Apartment  

How People Live in Nigeria’s Floating Slum
   • How People Live in Nigeria’s Floating Slum  










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