Xi urges better housing security

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the need to accelerate the country's housing security and supply to guarantee people's basic residential needs.

Presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on Tuesday, Xi said that pushing the construction of the housing supply system is a solid project that benefits all people.

"Solving the housing issue is a long-term task," the president said. "China still faces problems such as insufficient affordable housing and imbalances in housing resources distribution."

Xi said future work will stick to market-oriented reform, and properly handle the roles of government and the market, economic and social functions of housing development, relations of necessity and possibility and the difference between housing security and welfare trap.

Meanwhile, he vowed, the government shall meet the basic housing needs of the group troubled by unadaptable labor skills, lack of job opportunities or low income.

Xi pointed out that the general scheme of building China's housing supply system is that the government realizes most of the basic needs while leaving other diversified demands for the market rules.

"China will exert every effort to increase housing supply while pursuing affordable, environmentally friendly and safe living standards in accordance with the country's practical situation," he said.

According to the country's 12th five-year plan, China will increase its quantity of affordable housing so that it covers 20 percent of all residential areas by 2015 through construction of 36 million affordable housing units, including renovation of run-down neighborhoods.

Xi said the government will first ensure the quality and safety of these buildings and strive to accomplish the goal while speeding up the construction of public rental and low-rent housing as well as the renovation of run-down neighborhoods.

Land and fiscal policies will be further improved to support the project, Xi said, adding the government will explore and encourage ways for non-profit institutions to participate in the construction and management of affordable housing.

The top leader also stressed that China will enhance supervision and establish standard management mechanisms to fairly utilize and distribute public resources, and punish illegal occupation of affordable housing units.