Chongqing - “We focus on solving the housing difficulties of citizens and young people so that they can experience a happy life without any concern,” said Ni Hong, Minister of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China in the “Ministers’ Passage” of the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress.

Ni said that in 2023, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development would continue to promote the transformation of old residential areas and build more communities.

In the past five years, China has renovated 167,000 old communities, benefiting 29 million households and more than 80 million residents, and hopes to start constructing more than 50,000 old communities in 2023 and benefit 20 million residents.

Ni Hong, Minister of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China. (Photo/Xinhua)

With the central urban areas' economic development and urban upgrading, Chongqing has attracted 200,000 people to become new citizens every year.

The rental housing market is in great demand in Chongqing, but the rental entities are scattered.

“Chongqing aims to raise a total of 400,000 units of government-subsidized rental housing during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period,” said Guo Tangyong, deputy director of the Chongqing Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission.

Currently, Chongqing has raised a total of 200,000 units of government-subsidized rental housing, effectively solving the problems of citizens and young people who have difficulties finding and affording rental properties.

Chongqing will continue raising 81,000 units of government-subsidized rental housing, and the rental housing industry will prioritize the use of public rental housing, public housing, placement housing, and residential housing as an important direction of transformation and development.

A government-subsidized rental housing community in Chongqing. (Photo/Reng Tianju)

Renovation of old residential areas and shantytowns, renovating and upgrading idle government public housing, and social housing as government-subsidized rental housing make the rental housing market more active.

These housings are mainly distributed in rail transit stations and commercial business districts, industrial parks, campuses, hospitals, and surrounding facilities, helping to further alleviate the housing problem of young people and local citizens.

Chongqing’s housing rental management service platform is also being optimized. Citizens and young people can search for houses online through the WeChat mini program, apply for homes online, and deal with related issues more quickly.