Hong Kong Shantytowns

Hong Kong Shantytowns

Hong Kong has been liberated from the British rulers and has become a part of China. Within its boundaries are four million people, most of whom work in trade and industry. The people of Hong Kong live in a habitat of streets, shops, factories, offices, apartments and shantytowns.

Shantytowns are unplanned, often crowded settlements of shacks and huts. How does life in shantytown affect the people who live there? To find some answers to this question, anthropologist Frank kohl purchased a hut in model village, a shantytown in the city of Kowloon, Hong Kong. He lived there for 18 months. Some of his experiences and observations are included in the following activities.

The written data and many of the photographs of Hong Kong shantytowns were provided by Frank Kehl. Mr kehl teachers anthropology at Brooklyn College. City University of New York.

Below is a description of government policies shantytown dwellers.

Shantytown people live on land that’s either not claimed by anyone or that the government says must not be used for people’s dwelling. The Hong Kong government knows the shantytown dwellings can’t afford other, more decent legal housing. Therefore the government allows the huts to remain, but subjects them to squatter control. This means the government does not allow shantytown people to improve the huts with permanent holding materials such as brick or cement. Officials feel this would create problems when the time to clear the areas. When huts burn down they are not allowed to be rebuild.

Squatter control also prevents the shantytown dwellings from expending their hut. For example, they can not raise the roof to give more sleeping space as the family grows.