ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the relationships between housing, home ownership and kinship support within the Chinese family system in Hong Kong. It reviews the literature on the roles and functions of the contemporary Hong Kong family. Home buying is costly, especially when a family is moving from rental to ownership. For many families, a decision to buy a flat instead of renting involves a complex process of financial planning. The lower middle class in Hong Kong is largely composed of non-manual office clerical workers, personal service workers, sales persons and lower grade professionals. The matrix of family and kinship relationships is both complex and intricate. It is often complicated by different elements, such as personal character, ethnic diversity and cultural values. Family mutual support in home financing serves as an effective means to foster a culture of home ownership. However, since individual family aspirations and values differ substantially, it results in different engagements in terms of cultural battles.
