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More people are sleeping in McDonald's in Hong Kong, study suggests
Researchers found that not all people sleeping in McDonald’s overnight in Hong Kong were homeless or unemployed.
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A McDonald's outlet in Hong Kong, China. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he number of people sleeping in 24-hour McDonald’s outlets across Hong Kong, dubbed McRefugees, has increased sixfold in the past five years, a recent study has found.
Conducted by Junior Chamber International (JCI) Tai Ping Shan, the study counted a significant increase from 57 sleepers in 2013 to 334 sleepers this year between June and July.
According to CNN, researchers found that not all people sleeping in McDonald’s overnight in Hong Kong were homeless or unemployed. More than 70 percent of respondents revealed that they had other places to sleep, such as public housing, and are either full- or part-time employees.
“They have places to sleep, but they don’t go home,” said Jennifer Hung, chairwoman of the study.
Read also: McDonald's has a legal problem in pizza-loving India
Socioeconomic challenges such as high rent or electricity bills were some of the main reasons that drove the people to sleep at McDonald’s. According to a 2017 study by Demographia, Hong Kong has one of the world’s most expensive housing markets.
Other factors include family or personal conflicts, and a need to be surrounded by others. One example is an elderly McRefugee with no children who found herself home alone after the passing of her husband.
“We found that people are not only poor in pocket or poor in wealth, but poor in their souls, their lives,” said Hung.
In response to the findings, JCI recommended several measures to the Hong Kong government, including providing resources for its personal welfare organizations and social workers, and updating statistics on people who sleep overnight at public places. (anm/kes)
