The Ministry of Construction announced that it is trying to cover all urban employees with the housing fund project, including migrant workers with regular employment in cities. The following are excerpts from media comment on the new policy:

Beijing News : The housing fund project has played a significant role in helping urban residents purchase their own houses. It shows goodwill to extend the benefits to migrant workers. But practical arrangements should be made to carry out this policy to really meet the needs of migrant workers.

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Migrant workers are entitled to be covered by the social security system just like other urban employees. As a compulsory contribution collected monthly from both employers and employees, the housing fund comes under such benefits.

Yet, prudential arrangements must be made on how the fund is spent after migrant workers and their employers make the required contributions.

Migrant workers usually have three options for housing: building their own houses in their home villages, renting or purchasing houses in towns or cities near their own villages, and renting or purchasing houses in cities where they work.

It is necessary for the authorities to consider all these possibilities when they design the housing fund for migrant workers.

If the fund can only be used for mortgages, as under the current practice, migrant workers, mostly uncertain about their future employment and income, may be reluctant to use the fund.

The government has been trying to include migrant workers in its efforts to provide shelter for urban citizens. Low-price housing and low-rent housing involve many complicated issues, including use of public funds, urban land and buyer's qualifications.

Compared with these issues, extending the housing fund is an easy fix.

However, it is only a small step in granting migrant workers equal access to the rights and benefits enjoyed by urban residents.

Guangzhou Daily : It is good news that migrant workers are to be covered under the housing fund project. After all, it is one of the fundamental benefits enjoyed by all urban workers.

The decision-makers certainly mean to share the fruits of economic growth with the farmers-turned city workers. However, people may have different opinions about the move if they have some knowledge about the housing fund or they are put into the shoes of migrant workers.

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