Joseph KK Ho e-resources: An exploratory study on dwelling sufficiency in the context of housing studies

An exploratory study on dwelling sufficiency in the context of housing studies (information from perplexity.ai)

My question 1: "What is dwelling sufficiency all about in the context of housing studies?"

The reply: "Dwelling sufficiency in housing studies refers to having an adequate and reasonable amount of living space and housing conditions that meet the needs of occupants without excess or deprivation. It involves defining lower and upper thresholds—a minimum standard that ensures decent and functional living space for all (sufficiency), and an upper limit that identifies excessive or luxury levels of housing beyond what is necessary. This concept aims to achieve a balance where housing is neither overcrowded nor excessively spacious, promoting social justice, affordability, and sustainability within environmental limits.

Key aspects of dwelling sufficiency include:

Adequate space relative to household size (such as bedroom standards and floorspace per person) to guarantee privacy, comfort, and functionality.
Avoidance of housing deprivation (too little space) and excess (too much space, vacant homes, or multiple residences).
Optimizing housing use and sharing to reduce underused or vacant spaces.
Addressing affordability and quality alongside spatial sufficiency.
Aligning housing provision with ecological sustainability to reduce resource consumption and emissions.

Sufficiency in housing is thus about meeting occupants' real needs and ensuring decent living standards while respecting planetary boundaries and promoting social equity."

My question 2: "What have been the academic theories to study this topic?"

The reply: "Academic theories to study dwelling sufficiency in housing studies span several frameworks that analyze housing adequacy, distribution, and value from different perspectives:

Sufficiency Framework: This approach defines lower and upper thresholds of housing space that mark deprivation and excess. It focuses on meeting necessary housing standards for dignity and well-being while avoiding unsustainable excess. This framework emphasizes floorspace per person, housing quality, security, and affordability as sufficiency dimensions.
Theories of Value: This includes multiple schools such as neoclassical economics which explains housing sufficiency in terms of supply, demand, and market functioning, viewing housing as a commodity with price mechanisms. Other approaches integrate institutional or political economy perspectives to address broader social and economic forces underlying housing sufficiency issues.
Socio-Spatial Theories: These examine how sufficiency is not only about physical space but also social practices and meanings of home, extending beyond functionality to lived experience and social justice embedded in housing conditions.
Sufficiency Policy Approaches: Related literature explores energy sufficiency and sustainability in housing, linking sufficiency to climate goals and policy design, emphasizing behavioral and systemic changes to optimize residential space use.
Conceptual Frameworks for Housing Quality and Inequality: These offer combined socio-economic and material analyses of housing conditions to understand sufficiency within broader housing system dynamics and inequalities.

Together, these theories contribute to a multi-dimensional understanding of dwelling sufficiency that encompasses quantitative thresholds, market and institutional factors, socio-cultural meanings, and sustainability policies."

My question 3: "What have been the research gaps and research issues on this topic over the past 15 years?"

The reply: "Research gaps and issues on dwelling sufficiency in housing studies over the past 15 years include the following key areas:

Residential Satisfaction and Space Adequacy: Studies, such as in Gaza's internationally funded housing projects, reveal continued challenges related to dwelling space sufficiency affecting residential satisfaction. More research is needed on how adequate living space contributes to quality of life and how this interacts with other services and infrastructure in different global contexts.
Affordable Housing Supply and Demand Mismatch: Research identifies a gap in supply versus demand for sufficient housing, especially affordable housing for low-income families. This mismatch leads to long waiting lists and overcrowding, exacerbating issues of dwelling sufficiency.
Unequal Distribution and Utilization of Housing Space: Upward trends in per capita space consumption and uneven distribution of living space raise concerns about inefficient use of housing stock. Research calls for innovative solutions to better utilize existing space by unlocking "invisible living space," such as subletting or sharing, to address both sufficiency and sustainability goals.
Acceptance and Implementation of Sufficiency Measures: Studies note a research gap on the social acceptance and practical adoption of space sufficiency measures and policies, especially in regard to downsizing and adapting existing housing stock to sufficiency standards.
Socio-Spatial Differentiation and Inequality: There is limited understanding of how sufficiency is experienced unevenly across different social groups and spatial contexts, and how housing reforms impact mobility and displacement, influencing sufficiency outcomes.
Long-Term Policy Evaluation: Gaps exist in assessing the long-term impacts and effectiveness of policies aimed at improving dwelling sufficiency, including public housing strategies and broader housing supply interventions.

These gaps highlight a need for interdisciplinary research that combines spatial, social, economic, and policy dimensions to comprehensively address dwelling sufficiency challenges globally."

My question 4: "What have been the public media-reported issues in Hong Kong on this topic over the past 20 years?"

The reply: "Public media-reported issues in Hong Kong on dwelling sufficiency over the past 20 years have focused on several critical themes:

Severe Housing Affordability Crisis: Hong Kong is often reported as having the least affordable housing market globally, with property prices exceeding 20 times the median household income. This affordability gap has grown markedly over two decades, making homeownership unattainable for most residents and pushing many into overcrowded or substandard housing.
Insufficient Public Housing Supply and Long Waiting Times: Public rental housing, a key affordable option, has been unable to meet demand. Over 253,000 households were on waiting lists in recent years with average waits nearing six years. The shortage is tied to land scarcity and policies prioritizing luxury developments over affordable housing.
Overcrowding and Substandard Living Conditions: Media reports highlight the proliferation of “cage homes” and “coffin homes”—tiny, unsafe, and overpriced units lacking adequate space or ventilation. These conditions illustrate the human cost of housing scarcity and insufficiency.
Land Supply Constraints and Speculative Practices: The colonial-era land policies with limited land release, combined with speculative real estate investment especially from foreign buyers, have exacerbated price inflation and limited effective housing supply expansion.
Socioeconomic Inequality and Demographic Pressures: Rising income inequality and an aging population increase demands on public housing, exacerbating sufficiency issues especially for low-income and vulnerable groups.
Challenges in Policy Response: Critiques focus on the slow pace and inadequacy of government strategies like the Long-Term Housing Strategy, with targets often falling short of demand, raising concerns about implementation and effectiveness.
Urban Planning and New Town Development: Attempts to address housing through new town developments face mixed reviews on whether they provide sufficient quality and affordable housing.

In summary, media reporting over the past 20 years depicts Hong Kong’s dwelling sufficiency issues as a deeply entrenched crisis involving affordability, supply shortages, overcrowding, and policy challenges rooted in land governance and market dynamics."

My question 5: "Propose a 4-month part-time Housing Studies dissertation proposal, based on pragmatism, on this topic, with (1) the overall research theme, (2) 4 related research objectives, (3) 3 related research questions, (4) 2 primary research methods and 1 secondary research method, a dissertation project title, and a dissertation project timeline."

The reply: "Dissertation Project Title:

Dwelling Sufficiency in Hong Kong’s Housing Crisis: A Pragmatic Inquiry into Space, Affordability, and Policy Impact

Overall Research Theme:

This dissertation explores the multi-dimensional issue of dwelling sufficiency in Hong Kong, focusing on how limited housing space, affordability challenges, and policy interventions affect residents’ living conditions and housing satisfaction. Using a pragmatic approach, the research seeks actionable insights to inform housing policy and practical solutions that address insufficiency amid severe spatial constraints.

Research Objectives:

To examine residents’ perceptions and experiences of dwelling sufficiency in different housing types in Hong Kong.
To analyze the impact of space insufficiency and overcrowding on household wellbeing and residential satisfaction.
To critically assess the effectiveness of current housing policies addressing dwelling sufficiency, especially public housing strategies.
To identify practical strategies and community-led solutions that could improve dwelling sufficiency under Hong Kong’s land and market constraints.

Research Questions:

How do residents living in public and private housing perceive and experience dwelling sufficiency regarding space and affordability?
What are the social and psychological impacts of insufficient dwelling space on households?
How effective are current public housing policies in addressing issues of dwelling sufficiency, and what improvements could be made?

Primary Research Methods:

Semi-structured interviews with residents from diverse housing backgrounds (public, private, subdivided units) to capture lived experiences and perceptions of sufficiency.
Qualitative policy analysis of government housing strategies, reports, and media to assess policy intentions and effectiveness.

Secondary Research Method:

Comprehensive literature review of academic and government publications on dwelling sufficiency, housing policy, and Hong Kong’s housing context.

Dissertation Project Timeline (4 months, part-time):

Period	Activities
Month 1 (Weeks 1-4)	Literature review; refine research questions and objectives; obtain ethical approval for interviews.
Month 2 (Weeks 5-8)	Conduct semi-structured interviews; begin policy document collection and initial qualitative coding.
Month 3 (Weeks 9-12)	Complete interviews; detailed analysis of interview data and policy documents; start drafting findings.
Month 4 (Weeks 13-16)	Finalize data analysis; integrate literature review; write and revise dissertation chapters; submit draft and final dissertation.

This dissertation design leverages pragmatism by combining empirical qualitative data with policy analysis to generate practical insights aligned with housing stakeholders' needs and contextual realities in Hong Kong, suitable for a part-time four-month timeline."

My question 6: "Comment on the originality, academic and practical values of this study as well as the main research ethics issues involved in doing this dissertation project."

The reply: "

Originality:

The proposed study on dwelling sufficiency in Hong Kong offers originality by integrating resident lived experiences, policy analysis, and pragmatic inquiry in a rapidly evolving housing context. Despite extensive existing research on housing affordability and supply, this study’s focus on sufficiency—the adequate balancing of space, affordability, and policy impact from residents' perspectives—is underexplored, especially with the latest government reforms and housing schemes post-2023. The pragmatic approach allows combining qualitative insights with policy evaluation to generate actionable recommendations tailored to Hong Kong’s unique dense urban environment and socio-political housing challenges.

Academic Value:

Academically, this dissertation contributes to filling the gap on socio-spatial and policy dimensions of dwelling sufficiency, supplementing existing quantitative housing affordability studies with qualitative resident perspectives and policy critique. It also extends scholarly debates on housing sufficiency by applying a pragmatist framework that links theory with practice, thus broadening methodological approaches in housing studies. The focus on Hong Kong’s contemporary housing policies such as the Basic Housing Units Ordinance and public housing acceleration enriches policy-oriented academic discourse.

Practical Value:

Practically, the study informs policymakers, housing authorities, and advocacy groups about the real-world impacts of housing insufficiency on residents’ wellbeing and satisfaction. Insights from qualitative data can guide improvements in public housing design, regulatory measures on subdivided units, and support services, thereby improving living conditions. Policy analysis can highlight strengths and gaps in current housing strategies, supporting more responsive and integrated policy-making to reduce waiting times and improve housing quality in Hong Kong.

Research Ethics Issues:

Informed Consent and Confidentiality: Ensuring participants fully understand the research purpose and methods, and securely protecting their identities and data is crucial, particularly due to sensitivities around housing conditions and potential stigma.
Vulnerable Populations Protection: Interviewing low-income or marginalized residents living in cramped or subdivided units requires ethical sensitivity to avoid distress or exploitation and ensure voluntary participation without coercion.
Data Security and Anonymity: Safeguarding interview recordings, transcripts, and personal data against unauthorized access is essential to maintain trust and comply with institutional review board standards.
Balanced Representation: Avoiding bias in participant selection and being culturally sensitive to diverse housing experiences ensures ethical fairness and research validity.

Overall, the study’s originality, academic rigor, and practical implications justify its pursuit, provided ethical standards for research involving human subjects in sensitive contexts are strictly followed."

My question 7: "Suggest 4 academic and 4 non-academic references for this study in Harvard reference format."

The reply: "Here are 4 academic and 4 non-academic references relevant to the study, formatted in Harvard style:

Academic References:

Chan, S.M., 2025. The impact of tenancy control on housing precarity in Hong Kong. Habitat International, 125, p.102678.
Chiu, R.L.H., 2010. Housing policy and market dynamics in Hong Kong. Housing Studies, 25(1), pp.45-66.
Wan, W., 2013. Public rental housing allocation and affordability challenges in Hong Kong. Cities, 35, pp.87-95.
Wei, T., Li, J. & Lai, K., 2016. Real estate speculation and housing affordability in Hong Kong. Urban Studies, 53(2), pp.269-289.

Non-Academic References:

Hong Kong Housing Authority, 2020. Annual Public Housing Report 2019-2020. Hong Kong: HKHA Publications.
Our Hong Kong Foundation, 2025. Hong Kong Housing Landscape Navigator 2025. [online] Available at: https://www.ourhkfoundation.org.hk/en/media/press-releases/our-hong-kong-foundation-hong-kong-housing-landscape-navigator-2025 [Accessed 11 Oct 2025].
Legislative Council, 2024. Long Term Housing Strategy Annual Progress Report 2024. Hong Kong: Government Printer.
Joseph Ho, 2025. An exploratory study on the HK housing policy reform challenges. Joseph Ho Housing Blog, 3 August. Available at: http://josephho33.blogspot.com/2025/08/an-exploratory-study-on-hk-housing.html [Accessed 11 Oct 2025].

These references cover a range of perspectives on housing sufficiency, affordability, policies, and lived experience in Hong Kong."

A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.