Editorials

Op-Ed Contributors

Chinese Press

Columnists

LETTERS

Low-rent houses are not for sale

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-04 07:54

Selling off some of the low-rent houses will harm the interests of poor families and create many other problems. So it should not be adhered to, says an article in Yangtze Evening Post. Excerpt:

The authorities of some central and western areas reportedly plan to sell off some of the low-rent housing units to generate money, which they say they lack. This has sparked a controversy.

Poor families are supposed to be the beneficiaries of the low-rent housing project because they cannot afford to buy a house.

Related readings:  100 yuan could get you a house worth 150,000 yuan  UK house prices up 0.1% in August  Shanghai house prices to parallel HK in 15 years

Local authorities that have been granted subsidies by central and provincial governments to build low-rent houses should not turn them into real estate commodities, for if they do so the project will lose its importance as a social security measure.

If the local authorities implement their mistaken policy, it would be hard to prevent speculative buying of low-rent houses. Since central and provincial governments have granted huge subsidies for low-rent housing projects, their prices should be comparatively low.

Given the scandals dogging the economy housing project, it would be unwise to put up even some of the low-rent houses for sale.

Some local governments do face financial problems. But they better adjust their policy on the construction of low-rent houses and seek more subsidy from the central government to overcome those problems.

On the other hand, the huge amounts the local governments spend on administration makes it hard to believe they are actually short of funds to provide basic housing security to poor families.

Selling off low-rent houses is against the original goal of the government project and should be stopped.

(China Daily 09/04/2009 page9)