From Property, page 39, issue no. 343, Nov 26th 2007
Translated by Michael Martin
Original article: [Chinese]

Sun Yi (alias) has lived with his father in a 10 square meter one-story home since birth. But this living arrangement may soon come to an end, as their land may soon be appropriated by the military for use as an army entertainment center. As a result, Sun Yi qualified to participate in a new low-cost housing project in Xuanqu district. He chose his new apartment last month-- a 20 square meter, one-room with a mini-kitchenette and no gas-pipes. "I still don't know how I'm going to live," he said.

While gratified that he is able to live independently, he also feels helpless. With the low-cost housing pilot in Beijing having expired this November, the city's new housing guarantee system has entered mainstream operation. But for low-income groups, the opportunities are fewer than they imagined.

Beijing's low-cost housing pilot started in 2004, with North Guangqumen became the first participating district. Zhao's family was among the first to move in.

Zhao qualified because his son is a disabled veteran. His two-room home encompasses 50 square meters, with some free space, a kitchen, bathroom, and balcony. He says that the size of the subsidized homes in his district is based on family size, and range from one to three rooms at 40, 50, and 70 square meters respectively. "The one-room housing is only one room less [than my own], and is the same in all other respects," he said.

Compared with 2004, today's low-cost housing is radically different. Sun Yi received the smallest family-size housing available, which is now only 20 square meters.

But space aside, at the end of the day, Sun Yi will first be racking his brain over living in an apartment without a real kitchen.

With such a scarcity of land in the heart of the city, more and more people are being forced to relocate to the outskirts. As for the recipients of subsidized housing, finding options within Beijing's Second Ring Road Gongqumen is a dream of the past. Sun Yi's apartment is located in the southwest Fourth Ring Road's Fengtishidai housing complex. As it is still under construction, he has never actually seen it. In a show of support for his son, his father bought two large pieces of furniture from the corner "2 Yuan Store." "He worries that when I move into that place, there won't be any stores like this," Sun Yi says.

As part of its low-cost housing policy framework, the city offers several different housing options and housing stipends to qualifying applicants (Editor's note: see end of article for explanation). According to the "Beijing Low-Income Housing Management Measures" published earlier this year, over the next three years, Beijing will build 300,000 square meters of low-cost units for rent later. They will be built increasingly farther away from the city center.