On the four-cell bathroom on the road, the orange exterior wall is particularly dazzling among the green mountains.
Ms. Cheng carried a torch in the bathroom, wrung out the washed towels, and returned to the iron shack next to her.
There is no bathroom or even a toilet in her home. She tried to blow the roof away, so she could only repair it silently.
In this hill, there are squatters one after another along the road. Walking on the mountain road and sharing bathrooms and public toilets are all daily routines for her and her neighbors.
"The government forgot to call us." Rent control is about to be implemented, but squatters are not in the scope of regulation.
I am afraid that the above-mentioned distress will only continue to cycle in the future.
The ever-demanding regulations on rent control were passed by the Legislative Council earlier, but the government decided to take effect in January next year. What dilemmas are faced by disadvantaged tenants during the open window and what are the loopholes in the new regulations remain to be seen Fill up, "Hong Kong 01" has been for several days, telling readers through the stories of several little characters.
(Part 4 of the Vulnerability in Sub-Rent Management)
The exterior of the squatter was dilapidated and it was divided into three sub-district rooms for rent. Ms. Cheng and her daughter lived in only a hundred feet of space.
(Photo by Yu Junliang)
The rugged iron squatter on the mountain road is at the end
Walking up the stairs, there is gurgling water next to it, and the monkey on the tree is looking at it. This is the way for Ms. Cheng to go home. "It takes 20 minutes to walk once, and there are many stairs. It takes two shakes to walk each line." Against the sun. She was panting shortly after she started walking, so she could only avoid going out as much as possible, "It takes an hour to go back and forth."
Along the steps, a tin squatter appeared in front of you. One of the huts that had been "three-by-one" was where Ms. Cheng and her daughter lived.
The four public bathrooms outside the house are "baths" in the neighborhood.
However, as a lady, it is unavoidable to be embarrassed to take a bath outside. "I don't want to show up at night, so I am afraid that people will peep." Therefore, she can only remove the appliances and boil water to take a bath in the kitchen on weekdays.
Afraid of peeping in public baths
There is no hot water in the public bathroom. She only occasionally takes a bath outside in summer, but she must "see the right time." Only someone from the park opposite dared to go to the bathroom. Take a shower. Someone will come out to watch, don’t be afraid of someone peeping."
The bathroom on the hillside is the "bathroom" of many squatters and the "laundry" of many tenants. However, in recent years, the bathroom has fallen into disrepair and there are no lights at night. Tenants can only bring their own flashlights for lighting.
(Photo by Yu Junliang)
Relying on public toilets to resolve the "toilet contention" with hikers
My home is in the mountains, and a hundred feet of space can’t fit a toilet. Even if people have three urgency, they can only solve their needs in the nearby public toilets.
If there are many hikers on the day, you will even have to line up to go to the toilet. "Sometimes a lot of people line up and they have to give up... But even if they go there for the second time, there are many people."
In addition, the mountains were cold and dark at night, and she could only prepare the urinals by the bed at night.
It is inconvenient for her daughter to take a bath in the bathroom. On weekdays, Ms. Cheng can only remove the appliances, boil water and take a bath in the kitchen.
(Photo by Yu Junliang)
Mangosteen hits Hong Kong's roof and is blown away, owner refuses to repair
Living on the edge of a mountain, porcupines, wild boars, mice, and wild dogs are commonplace. Encountering wind and rain is their nightmare.
Ms. Cheng recalled that when the typhoon "Mangosteen" hit Hong Kong, the canvas and iron sheets on the roof were blown away, and the wooden boards inside the house were even more mouldy due to rain.
There was a violent storm that day, but fortunately, the day before, I met a good-hearted person. A mother-in-law who walked the mountain knew that she would beat the wind, and invited the two mother and daughter to her home for the night, so that they could spend the night safely.
Unexpectedly, when I returned home, the stairs on the road were all fallen trees. Afterwards, I saw that the house was devastated. "You have to donate to climb, climb over the big tree." After the typhoon ravaged the house, the house was completely unrecognizable, but the owner did not want to repair it. Finally, Rely on the assistance of social workers, even at their own expense.
There are many mice on the hillside, and Ms. Cheng puts a wooden board in front of the door to prevent mice from entering the house.
(Photo by Yu Junliang)
Extended reading series:
Residential rent management loopholes | The window period is too long, the single parent is forced to move away in fear after two months of signing the contract
Leakage in rent management | Tenants are forced to move back to porn and drug buildings after new leases are not protected
Leakage in rent management | Attic home for 20 years, the big landlord suddenly appeared to drive away tenants
The loopholes in sub-house rent management | The forgotten squatter households reincarnate in the daily life of shared bathrooms and public toilets
Vulnerability in rent management | tenants, disadvantaged landlords take advantage of the empty window
Subdivided rent management is about to be implemented, which requires owners to maintain the internal conditions of the property.
However, squatters are not within the scope of regulation, which means that after the law comes into effect, Ms. Cheng will not be protected either.
Ms. Cheng said that their situation is no worse than that of the sub-districts in the city. They even have to go hiking in the mountains. After experiencing the sun and rain, she said helplessly: "The government has forgotten us."
Ms. Cheng believes in Guanyin and worships God devoutly every day.
For her, being able to get an amusement is one of her greatest wishes, "I hope I can get upstairs soon."