Abstract
The population of migrant workers in China has been escalating rapidly in recent years. By the end of 2012, the total number of Chinese migrant workers had reached 262.61 million, up 3.9 % from 2011. Specifically, there were 163.36 million non-local migrant workers, up 3.0 % year on year, and 99.25 million local ones, up 5.4 % year on year. In the period between 2009 and 2012, the total number of Chinese migrant workers increased on an annual average by 10.94 million, including 6.01 million non-local migrant workers and 4.93 million local ones. The problem of housing assistance has become a key issue for migrant workers, especially non-local ones. With a summary of the current urban housing assistance system and local housing policies for migrant workers in China, this paper will analyze the current status and problems of housing assistance for migrant workers, and subsequently provide policy recommendations about it.
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Notes
- 1.
The NBS: the Statistical Bulletin of the People’s Republic of China on the 2012 National Economic and Social Development, February 22, 2013, http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjgb/ndtjgb/qgndtjgb/t20130221_402874525.htm, March 29, 2013. The annual number of migrant workers includes migrant workers who work outside their hometowns for at least 6 months in the year and those who work in non-agricultural sectors in their hometowns for at least 6 months in the year (the same below).
- 2.
The NBS: the Migrant Workers Monitoring Survey Report 2011, April 27, 2012, http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjfx/fxbg/t20120427_402801903.htm, March 29, 2013; the Statistical Bulletin of the People’s Republic of China on the 2012 National Economic and Social Development, February 22, 2013, http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjgb/ndtjgb/qgndtjgb/t20130221_402874525.htm, March 29, 2013; the annual average numbers were computed according to the aforementioned data.
- 3.
The Guiding Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Building and Managing Indemnificatory Housing, September 30, 2011, http://www.gov.cn/zwgk/2011-09/30/content_1960086.htm, March 29, 2013.
- 4.
The policy is based on the Notice of the State Council on Printing and Issuing the 12th Five-Year Plan for the National Basic Public Service System (GF [2012] No. 29). This document makes it clear that low-rent housing assistance is provided in kind or in cash, saying that “at least 4,000,000 low-rent apartments will be added, and at least 1,500,000 more households will receive rent subsidies” in the 12th Five-Year Plan period; “where low-rent housing assistance is provided in kind, the average floor area per capita will be about 13 m2, the gross floor area be less than 50 m2, and the rent be determined by county or municipal governments; where low-rent housing assistance is provided in cash, the levels of rent subsidy will be determined by county or municipal governments according to factors such as the levels of local economic development, the average rent in the market, and the incomes of relevant households.”
- 5.
The Guiding Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Building and Managing Indemnificatory Housing, September 30, 2011, http://www.gov.cn/zwgk/2011-09/30/content_1960086.htm, March 29, 2013.
- 6.
The Notice of the State Council on Printing and Issuing the 12th Five-Year Plan for the National Basic Public Service System, July 20, 2012, http://www.gov.cn/zwgk/2012-07/20/content_2187242.htm, March 29, 2013.
- 7.
Dong Xin: “On China’s housing policies specific to migrant workers (1978–2012)”, Reform of Economic System 2013 Issue 2.
- 8.
Zhang Jiangtao: “On the housing issue of migrant workers”, a master’s degree thesis at the Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, 2009.
- 9.
Guo Li and Li Yongwen: “Chongqing: building ‘one-yuan apartments’ for migrant workers”, Outlook Weekly 2007 Issue 28.
- 10.
Zhang Jiangtao: “On the housing issue of migrant workers”, a master’s degree thesis at the Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, 2009; Zhou Liyun: “Why are apartment buildings for migrant workers left out in the cold”, the People’s Daily, September 5, 2006, p. 10.
- 11.
Zhang Jiangtao: “On the housing issue of migrant workers”, a master’s degree thesis at the Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, 2009; the official website of the Jiading District Government: “The Yongsheng Apartment Complex in Malu Town is a warm home of migrant workers”, January 5, 2011, http://www.jiading.gov.cn/Item/28929.aspx, April 22, 2012.
- 12.
Zhang Xi: “Improve incentives to benefit various groups – the HPF system in this city keeps increasing coverage”, August 7, 2012, http://hzrb.hz66.com/hubaojizhe/zhangqian/2012-08-07/2535.html, March 22, 2013.
- 13.
Chen Huai: “Developing the housing assistance system is the key to alleviate housing problems”, Research on Economics and Management 2006 Issue 3.
- 14.
Dong Xin and Zhang Yi: “On the determinants of housing consumption by migrant workers”, Chinese Rural Economy 2012 Issue 10.
- 15.
The former Ministry of Construction: the Report of the Ministry of Construction on the Development of the Urban Low-rent Housing System in 2006, February 13, 2007, http://www.mohurd.gov.cn/zxydt/200804/t20080424_162808.html, February 22, 2013.
- 16.
The Guiding Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Building and Managing Indemnificatory Housing, September 30, 2011, http://www.gov.cn/zwgk/2011-09/30/content_1960086.htm, March 29, 2013.
- 17.
The Notice of the Ministry of Construction, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and the Ministry of Land and Resources on Printing and Issuing the Guiding Opinions on Improving Housing Conditions of Migrant Workers, January 10, 2008, http://www.mohurd.gov.cn/zcfg/jsbwj_0/jsbwjfdcy/200801/t20080110_157799.html, March 29, 2013.
- 18.
The Guiding Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Building and Managing Indemnificatory Housing, September 30, 2011, http://www.gov.cn/zwgk/2011-09/30/content_1960086.htm, March 29, 2013.
- 19.
Mao Lingyun: “Financial challenges for affordable housing”, Nanfengchuang 2011 Issue 17.
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Dong, X. (2015). Strengthening Housing Security for Migrant Workers. In: Pan, J., Wei, H. (eds) Annual Report on Urban Development of China 2013. Current Chinese Economic Report Series. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-46324-6_12
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