The location of low-rent houses should be selected carefully to
avoid social problems in the future, says an article in China
Youth Daily. The following is an excerpt:
During the national working conference on urban housing held two
weeks ago, the authorities decided to take multiple measures to
improve the low-rent housing system to cover more low-income
families in cities. There are specific stipulations about the
construction of low-rent houses - their size, numbers, and the
source of funding.
With all these stipulations in place, we may see the rapid
development of low-rent houses. However, one aspect has been missed
in the stipulations - location. This must be selected carefully as
it will play a vital role in the long-term development of a
city.
Land in downtown areas of cities command high prices, if
low-cost housing is to be built on such land, they will bring their
value down, affecting a local government's coffers.
So most local governments will choose a location away from the
city centre, where land is less expensive.
But such a location may give rise to a host of problems.
Transportation may not be convenient, the infrastructure may be
less developed and public facilities may be difficult to attain.
Families living in such locations could face such problems and at a
financial cost.
Many developed countries have built low-rent housing for needy
families. Their experience could be of valuable help to Chinese
cities.
Some European countries used to build low-rent houses in the
suburbs. This resulted in families becoming increasingly detached
from mainstream society. The policy is now being changed. French
law requires developers to build a certain proportion of low-rent
houses close to well-off communities.
(China Daily September 3, 2007)