Hong Kong is among the world’s most prosperous and stable cities. Yet, the quality of its housing and its spending on social services are well below the other advanced economies. The gap between rich and poor is among the widest in the world and worsening, which officials and business leaders have tried to blame on the poor themselves. In this century, the government has increased the charges paid by the average family for health, education and welfare. Children and adults with disabilities, together with the elderly, suffer extraordinary waiting times for admission to care facilities. Access to modern medication is rationed by price, even for many life-threatening illnesses. This presentation will explain how this deterioration in the community’s wellbeing is the direct outcome of the government’s belief that welfare is a luxury Hong Kong can hardly afford.