In 2026, the affordability crisis is touching every aspect of daily life.At the grocery store, inflation has driven up the costs of household products and food, while people globally have been feeling the strain of the war in Iran at the gas pump.Others are struggling with the cost of living when it comes to housing, too, as cities face housing shortages and rising rents.Economic hardships like these are being felt around the world, leaving many people with no choice but to rent uncomfortably small living arrangements.From Los Angeles to Seoul, see people's tiny living spaces in photos.
Small living spaces known as 'coffin homes' and 'mosquito units' are found around the world.
Kong Siu-kau, 63, sits in his cage bed in Hong Kong in 2009.
Bobby Yip/Reuters
As the global population grows and the number of renters rises, some cities, such as Hong Kong and San Francisco, have seen a surge in the construction of tiny, more affordable homes and apartments.Some units are smaller than 200 square feet, earning them nicknames such as "nano homes," "coffin homes," "mosquito units," and "gnat flats," the Associated Press reported.
