Subsidized homes top priority of central gov't
Updated: 2007-08-14 09:50
The central government yesterday instructed local governments to make subsidized rental accommodation available across the country for poor families by the end of 2010 as rising housing prices show no sign of abating.
The statement by the State Council is the latest effort by the central government to increase the supply of affordable housing and to slow the rise in property prices.
A low-rent system is a major way to alleviate the housing problem of urban low-income families, the circular said.
By the end of this year, the system will cover people living on the minimum allowance in all cities.
The scheme will cover all poor families in the prosperous eastern regions by the end of 2008 and be extended nationwide by the end of 2010.
The circular also called for improving the economically affordable housing system and boosting the renovation of shanty areas within cities.
Analysts said a noticeable feature of the circular is that it targets "urban low-income families", which shows more attention is now being paid to this group.
The National Development and Reform Commission said yesterday that housing prices of 70 large and medium-sized cities in the country saw a year-on-year increase of 6.3 percent in the second quarter this year.
Shenzhen led with a 14.3 percent increase, followed by Beihai and Beijing.
The State Council ordered local governments to fund the low-rent program by setting aside more than 10 percent of revenues they raise from land sales.
It said China needed to curb "overly fast rises in real estate prices".
The China Security News quoted Jin Yiping, deputy director of the housing and property industry department of the Ministry of Construction, as saying that there are about 4 million people, living on the minimum allowance, who have housing problems. If the number included low-income families, it would be 10 million.
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