Hong Kong
STREET SOCCER HK & SOCIETY FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
Street Soccer HK and SOCO run football training and coaching sessions, the annual selection tournament, the Hong Kong Street Soccer League, and regular fundraising events for the homeless team which represents Hong Kong in the Homeless World Cup.
The purpose of their tournament is to gain public support, raise awareness about homelessness, and particularly to improve players’ self-image and self-esteem.
Country statistics
4 out of 189 in Human Development Index ratings (UNDP, 2019)
$48,630 Average annual salary per person (World Bank, 2021)
37% of the population live under the poverty line (UNDP, 2019)
Consisting of a mainland area (the New Territories) and more than 200 islands, Hong Kong has a population of 7.26 million (July 2021 estimate). It has the highest life expectancy rate in the world (CIA World Factbook, 2020).
Despite the relatively high average salary compared to neighbouring countries, 30% of the population are still living under the poverty line (UNDP, 2019).
Government data showed 1 in 5 people living in Hong Kong lived below the poverty line at the end of 2018. In 2019, Hong Kong was considered the least affordable housing market for the 10th year running. About 210,000 low-income individuals in Hong Kong are reportedly living in cramped 93,000 sub-divided units, rental rooms, or cubicles (Habitat for Humanity, 2021).
More than 1,500 people are homeless in Hong Kong, this is as a result of unaffordable housing, increased unemployment and the government’s forced eviction policy, which campaigners are attempting to remove. (Hong Kong Free Press, 2021)
In June 2020, China introduced the National Security Law in Hong Kong, which gave them increased powers to punish activists and demonstrators. Since the law was introduced more than 100 people, including journalists and campaigners, have been arrested (BBC, 2021).
STORIES from the region
