A study on the housing search process of ethnic minorities in private housing

Abstract

The population of ethnic minorities in Hong Kong has greatly increased over the past decades. Although their median monthly income is higher than that of the whole working population in Hong Kong, they have a higher rate living in poor housing compared to local Chinese. Yet, little is known about how they search for housing. This study examined the housing search process of ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, with a focus on information gathering and options evaluation. This study was carried out in three phrases. Firstly, key concepts, theories and housing of ethnic minorities were examined through literature review. Secondly, with the secondary data from the Census and Statistics Department’s Thematic Report, demographic and economic characteristics of Hong Kong ethnic minorities were analyzed. Thirdly, primary data were retrieved from distributing questionnaires to target ethnic minorities. It is found that the number of ethnic minorities counting on ethnic social network to gather housing information way exceeds other channels including professional service, advertisement, social media, and community or religious organizations. The existence of housing discrimination is a driver to this phenomenon. Findings suggest that rent and convenience are the most important considerations when they evaluate housing options. While most ethnic minorities rely on ethnic social network to find housing, in most cases the housing does not meet what they want.