SHAME-FREE thread: ask the dumbest question you have about the Hong Kong protests. I'll try to answer it or loop in a real Hong Konger to answer it for you. No question too ignorant or basic.
This is a very deep and difficult question. The housing crisis especially is a fascinating topic, and looking into it would reveal a great deal about the territory's relationship with Beijing, and the unsavory financial ties that keep housing artificially scarce.