Between informality and formality: resettlement cottage villages built by nongovernmental agencies in post-war Hong Hong

This study explores the roles and contributions of nongovernmental agencies to squatter resettlement in colonial Hong Kong. After the Second World War, squatter encampments sprung up in densely populated districts and posed serious hygienic problems and fire hazards to Hong Kong. In 1948, the government compelled squatters to move to designated resettlement areas along the urban fringe where they could build simple cottages or huts at their own expense. Numerous informal cottage villages were developed in these resettlement areas where the government’s assistance was restricted to the supply of basic municipal services, such as water and electricity, only. Many voluntary and religious organizations saw this as an opportunity for practical charitable assistance to people in need. From the 1950s to the 1980s, they proactively built thousands of resettlement cottages, which were either donated outright to the government or rented or sold by hire-purchase agreement to the settlers. To save building costs and time, these nongovernmental agencies developed prototype cottages that were neatly arranged in the resettlement areas. These cottages stood out from the informal shelters, self-built by squatters. This study highlights the fact that resettlement cottages developed by nongovernmental agencies comprised the first extensive attempt to provide affordable housing to low-income families in Hong Kong. It discusses the cottage-building programs of three major cottage providers: Kowloon City Fire Relief & Rehabilitation Committee, Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corporation, and the Methodist Board of Missions. This study analyzes their different approaches to fundraising, cottage design, and tenure arrangement.