Other Views

Cases more complex than rules

Affordable housing relies on government subsidies to maintain low rents or low prices. The policy aims at using taxpayers' money to help those on low incomes get a place to live. Therefore those who get a permit to reside in them are breaking the law when they rent them out and such deeds should be punished.

Changsha Evening News, Aug 26

Only those with low incomes should enjoy affordable housing, but their incomes might change over time so a dynamic mechanism that includes both entry and exit is needed to regulate affordable housing. That is also the experience of many developed countries. China issued a regulation concerning this in 2005, but without much effect because it is not a national law passed by the National People's Congress. More legislative work is necessary so that there is a dynamic mechanism that functions well and ensures that only those who need affordable housing get it.

Beijing News, Aug 26

The practice of subletting affordable housing and obtaining profits from the process should of course be prohibited, but how to effectively supervise the system is a big problem. To send regular supervisors to the housing sites would consume more public resources and waste more taxpayers' money. So why not cancel affordable housing and offer money subsidies to those who need help? That would not only bring more convenience to residents and enable them to choose where to reside, but also avoid State intervention in the economy. Other potential problems such as corruption in the construction of affordable housing could also be prevented.

gmw.cn, Aug 26

Almost all media comments blame those who sublet affordable housing and call for them to be punished. Such public resources should, of course, not be abused; however, sometimes residents in affordable housing sublet them because it is inconvenient for them. For example, a report says a handicapped middle-aged woman sublet her affordable housing and rented an apartment in another district where her son went to school. She did not get any actual profit from the process. The affordable housing system needs to be improved so that people can get affordable housing where they need it, instead of subletting it for money to rent apartments in the areas they want.

rednet.cn, Aug 26