Living in tight spaces

A family resting on a rooftop cage home in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. The government says the city’s smallest apartments need more regulation but for some of Hong Kong’s poorest, that could mean higher rents or even eviction. — ©2024 The New York Times Company

AS she surveyed her home in Hong Kong, Liu Lan Hua tried not to be bothered that her narrow kitchen doubled as the family’s only bathroom.

Colanders, pans and hairbrushes dangled above the toilet. Jars of chilli oil were precariously balanced on water pipes. A stew of chicken wings and chestnuts warmed on an electric stove a few feet from the shower faucet.