In December 2024, we hosted a seminar on living space and quality of life that brought together research and practice across Hong Kong’s most constrained housing contexts. Professor Law shared qualitative evidence and preliminary findings from a panel survey and evaluation study of families in subdivided units (SDUs), underscoring the distinct pain points of family life in cramped conditions—where routines, caregiving, privacy, and shared facilities demand more time, effort, and space than single-person living. Professor Lau presented on the Quality of Life of micro-apartment residents, including homeowners in new developments, revealing how limited space, utilities, and environmental deficiencies challenge wellbeing beyond middle-to-low income groups and pointing to areas for stronger design standards, regulation, and legislation. Two partnering NGOs—the Salvation Army Yaumatei Integrated Service for Young People and HKSKH Lady MacLehose Centre—showcased service models that strengthen SDU families through community support and physical health interventions. The HKU team continues to refine its logic model and theory of change to maximise impact.
We thank all partners for their dedicated contributions, especially HKJC Charities Trust for funding the project and supporting us all along. We also thank the participants, mainly from the social work sector, to engage in such meaningful discussions. We are planning to organise more knowledge exchange activities in the coming years, so stay tuned!
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