But, the pilot program may face a big challenge of bearing capacity. For example, many users, including students on summer vacation, might use the air-conditioning facility to escape the heat.

To address the fundamental problem of subdivided flats, the SAR government is stepping up construction of public housing units. A further 30,000 light public housing units with standardized designs and a modular integrated construction approach will be completed by 2028, providing additional transitional living spaces for people on the public housing waiting list and reducing the demand for subdivided flats.

A task force led by senior government officials is working on setting minimum living standards for residents, including improved living spaces, fire safety and hygiene conditions, in an attempt to gradually phase out subdivided flats in Hong Kong. In his July 1 article, Chief Executive Lee said the government aims to address the longstanding problem in an orderly manner.

Before discovering the community living room, the younger brother Kaixuan had always sobbed in their tight flat but never told anybody why, which disturbed his mother a lot. But now, his mood has improved considerably, and he feels happy and confident telling his mother and brother what is happening at school, while on his way to the community living room to savor sunshine and Mozart's melodies on the piano.

He has even started to dream about the future. "I hope I can live in a big house in Hong Kong someday and be able to raise cats, dogs and goldfish, living happily with my family."

Contact the writer at fangxue@chinadailyhk.com