By South China Morning Post | Created at 2026-08-27 04:02:02 | Updated at 2026-08-27 04:18:27
18 minutes ago
A proper kitchen, a washing machine and a table where children can do their homework – these are some of the bare necessities that people expect for their homes. But for many families living in subdivided flats in Hong Kong, that is unfortunately not the reality.
People in subdivided flats – dwellings created by dividing an existing flat into several smaller units, usually around 50 to 100 sq ft each – must fit their sleeping and storage spaces into a single cramped room, with a tiny kitchen and bathroom facilities attached.
In response to this housing issue, the Hong Kong government launched the Community Living Room programme, targeting areas with a high concentration of subdivided flats. It aims to provide the residents of these flats with additional living space as well as opportunities to socialise with their neighbours.
Each Community Living Room includes communal spaces, a shared kitchen, self-service laundry facilities and designated study areas for children. Social workers are also available on site to run activities for residents and assist them with accessing other government and community resources they may need.
DBS Foundation – the charity arm of Singapore-headquartered DBS Bank – co-funded a Community Living Room that opened earlier this year in the Yau Ma Tei neighbourhood, with the Hong Kong charitable organisation Tung Wah Group of Hospitals responsible for managing the initiative.
“Yau Ma Tei and the [broader] Yau Tsim Mong district are actually one of the areas with a relatively large number of subdivided flats,” says Jelly Chan, the Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room’s supervisor from the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals. “We hope to serve subdivided flat households in the Yau Tsim Mong district and draw their interest, so they can relax here for a while.”
The new Community Living Room offers a prep kitchen, bathrooms with shower facilities, laundry rooms equipped with both washing and drying machines, a play area for younger children, a youth recreation area and a space dedicated to health education.
“We provide many different facilities at our community lounge for subdivided flat residents,” Chan says. “For example, because there are quite a few Muslim residents in Yau Ma Tei, we specially set up a halal kitchen for them. It provides separate cooking utensils, bowls and plates, and some food from the mosque. We keep everything separate so they can use it with peace of mind.”
One of the members of the Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room is Lily Chi, who lives in a subdivided flat nearby with her husband and young son. Chi shares what her living experience has been like: simply cooking one meal in her kitchen can make her entire home feel hot and uncomfortable, the hot water supply for showers lasts a mere five minutes, and her son did his homework on the bed due to the lack of space.
Chi took part in the early stages of this Community Living Room project, when the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals sought subdivided flat residents in the neighbourhood to provide ideas about what facilities should be included.
She recalls how it felt to see those ideas come to life. “When I first came here, I felt the environment matched what I had imagined. As soon as I entered, I felt it was very warm and had the feeling of home,” she says. “I think the kitchen is very comfortable and well-equipped. For my home situation, this makes me feel very happy. There is also a study room that suits my son very well.”
Another member of the Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room is Casniti, an Indonesian who has lived in Hong Kong for 11 years and has a toddler-age son. She particularly appreciates the opportunities for social interaction that the space provides.
“Before, I felt very, very lonely. So I was happy when my friend asked me to come here and introduced me to this place,” says Casniti, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. “We have a place where we can meet our friends and get to know other people, and my son can play with other kids.”
Chan notes: “We opened this Community Living Room in January, and over 600 residents have become members. We hope that in the future, we can attract more subdivided flat households to become members.”
The DBS Foundation’s mission is to help the less fortunate improve their quality of life as well as their future prospects, by providing opportunities such as improved access to essential needs, as exemplified by the various facilities of the Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room. The foundation also works to encourage financial literacy and build economic resilience, which is reflected in the workshops held at the Community Living Room to pass financial management tips on to its members.
“Through DBS Foundation, we are committed to supporting the community and fostering inclusion, working together with our partners to provide essential needs for those in need,” says Sebastian Paredes, CEO of DBS Bank (Hong Kong) and DBS’ head of North Asia.
Since 2014, DBS Bank and DBS Foundation have committed HK$165 million (US$21 million) to help fund charitable programmes and social enterprises across Hong Kong that have benefited around 460,000 people. In addition, the bank’s employees have contributed around 260,000 hours of volunteer work with the initiatives supported by DBS Foundation.
Watch the video to learn more about the process of creating the Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room, and see how some of the local residents are making use of it.
