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With a population of nearly 7.5 million and very little developable land remaining, Hong Kong has become the least affordable real estate market, making so-called 'coffin cubicles' common. United Nations have condemned these nightmarish living spaces as "an insult to human dignity," but according to the Society for Community Organisation, for some 200,000 people, it's still the only alternative.

"That day, I came home and cried," Benny Lam told National Geographic, describing his experience of photographing said tiny apartments. With his series "Trapped," Lam seeks to illuminate the suffocating local dwellings that stand outside the reach of Hong Kong's glamorous neon lights.

"You may wonder why we should care, as the Hong Kong population isn't a part of our lives," Lam wrote on his Facebook page. "They are exactly the people who come into your life every single day: they are serving you as the waiters in the restaurants where you eat, they are the security guards in the shopping malls you wander around, or the cleaners and the delivery men on the streets you pass through. The only difference between them and us is [the quality of life]. This is a question of human dignity."

"From cooking to sleeping, all activities take place in these tiny homes," said Lam. To create the 'coffin cubicles,' flats are usually illegally divided into 15 - 120-square-foot (roughly, 1,5-12 m²) 'apartments.' To illustrate, Wong Tat-ming, 63, who is on benefits after sclerosis in his leg left him unable to drive a taxi, lives in an 18-square-feet dwelling for about $307 (HK$2,400) a month.

More info: Facebook (h/t: nationalgeographic)

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#5

Coffin Cubicles

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Chris Taylor
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

S**t just go live in your car at least you'd have windows and a choice of view... actually if you live here I guess you can't afford one

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#6

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djinnjeannie
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not really reasonable to call it clutter. It's pretty hard to have clean line type interior decor when your living space is less wide than many people's asses.

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Zyra Ortiz
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMG, this make me think of a hidden object game. This is unreal.

Donna Leske
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I see a cigarette lighter. Can you imagine the panic if there were a fire?

Baukje Das
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How does he/she make the photo using no hands? Is there room for two persons?

Amelia-Jayne
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You would be so fat from not moving all day and just eating while watching the tv

Charlotte Brine
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd hazard a guess and say they probably spend as little time as possible confined in there

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#9

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varwenea
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ironically, the red sign on the far left is a saying to improve wealth; perhaps he should add a few more of those signs.

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#12

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JillVille Child Care
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Forced minimalist living... wow, I couldn't imagine. My heart hurts for these poor souls.

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#13

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#14

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Debra Starr Moon
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Amelia, I don't think 'boredom' is a primary concern for these poor souls. Lou, where exactly would he put a small dog when there isn't enough room for him? And Tiffany...lotion for a reason? Really? SMH.

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