Hong Kong is encouraging women to have babies. How? Once they become moms, they can advance their position on the waiting list for public housing.
Why? The government is faced with a shortfall of workers today and anticipates that there will continue to be a shortfall of workers in the future.
The remedy? Have more babies.
Will it work? Hong Kong’s housing is notoriously expensive, despite the plentiful supply of public housing (about 50% of all homes are in public housing). The prospect of being able to shorten the wait time for public housing to three years from five could be attractive. In the meantime, new parents may need to manage their finances very carefully to avoid bankruptcy or homelessness.
Managing waiting lists for public resources are an expression of a government’s values. The values are evident in the criteria used to decide who gets preference for the resource. In the case of Hong Kong, to fulfill government objectives of population management, the waiting list for public housing is being recalibrated.
Giving preference to moms with children means others will necessarily move further down the queue. This includes the women who want to have babies but can’t. Modern medicine is amazing, but it cannot guarantee that every woman who wants to have a baby will have one.
Hong Kong’s waiting lists aren’t very long by Canadian standards. But the Canadian experience might give decision makers in Hong Kong pause:
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- At one time, there was a points system, which gave preference to working adults. Then came the ‘discovery’ of domestic violence. Waiting lists were recalibrated to give preference to women fleeing violence. People who were already on the list were going to have to wait longer, but it was hard to argue against giving priority to moms and kids to ensure their safety.
- Then there was AIDS. People who were sick applied for social housing and quickly realized that they would die before their name came to the top of the list. The waiting list was recalibrated again to give preference to people with terminal illnesses.
- By the time homelessness began to be more visible in the 1990’s, the federal government had given up any commitment to build new social housing. Once again, waiting lists were recalibrated to give people who are homeless some hope of leaving the streets and settling into permanent housing.
The news from Hong Kong does not mention whether there are plans to add to the social housing stock. If the supply holds steady, could Hong Kong be stepping onto Canada’s well meaning, but ultimately flawed path?
Read more in the The Straits Times: Hong Kong cuts public housing waiting time to boost birth rates
