Hong Kong aims to improve subdivided flats, but will it help or hurt the city’s poor?

Subdivided flats in Hong Kong will be required to meet new minimum standards and be registered as Basic Housing Units (BHUs) from March 2026. The measure aims to alleviate inhumane living conditions found in some of the city’s worst subdivided units. But there have been concerns that landlords will raise rents, since they must pay for renovations needed to get their units up to code. A concern group said it will make it more difficult for Hong Kong’s poorest people to afford housing.