Hong Kong

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.

Number of people living in “coffin homes”; cupboard-sized subdivided units (The Atlantic, 2017; SCMP, 2016)

Approximate number of homeless people in Hong Kong, almost double the official goverment figures (SCMP, 2018)

More than 20% of Hong Kong’s population were living in poverty in 2018, roughly 1.5 million people. This is the highest rate of poverty in the country since 2010 (Straits Times, 2018).

Hong Kong has one of the widest income disparities and least affordable housing markets in the world (Straits Times, 2017). High rents and property prices have hit the poor the hardest.