Chinese Cities Optimize Affordable Housing Policies to Improve Supply and Accessibility

As an important part of China’s housing security system, affordable housing plays a crucial role in safeguarding people’s well-being. Against the backdrop of improving the housing security system and optimizing the supply of affordable housing, many regions across the country have recently refined their policies related to affordable housing, focusing on multi-dimensional upgrades to better meet people’s housing needs.

Optimizing the way of raising affordable housing sources has become a key focus for various regions. Zhuhai Municipal Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has issued the Measures for the Administration of Affordable Rental Housing in Zhuhai, clarifying that affordable rental housing sources are mainly raised through three methods: new construction, reconstruction and inventory activation. 

Reconstruction involves transforming idle and inefficient non-residential buildings into affordable rental housing, while inventory activation integrates eligible existing housing into unified use and management as affordable rental housing.

Zhengzhou and Guangzhou have also prioritized existing housing as a key source for affordable housing. The 2026 Work Priorities of Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of Housing Security and Real Estate Management identifies guiding relevant enterprises and districts to purchase existing commercial housing for affordable housing as a major goal. 

Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources has included encouraging the conversion of existing commercial housing into affordable rental housing in the positive list for adjusting the use of existing buildings without planning permission.

While adjusting the way of raising housing sources, various regions are also improving the quality of housing to optimize the supply of affordable housing. 

Zhengzhou’s Work Priorities clearly states the goal of building high-quality affordable housing, improving supporting living facilities, and upgrading the professionalism and standardization of operation and management to turn affordable housing into "good houses" that meet people’s growing needs for a better life.

Adjustments to the whole-process management of affordable housing are also underway in some cities. 

Starting from March 23, Urumqi has officially optimized the allocation mechanism for affordable rental housing and sales-type affordable housing, delegating the allocation authority to various housing operation and management units and discontinuing the original weekly centralized allocation model to improve efficiency.

The future optimization direction of affordable housing policies will focus on expanding the scope of protection, exploring the orderly conversion and overall use of rental and sales-type affordable housing, and promoting the "rent-first-then-buy" model to lower the threshold for access. 

Efforts will also be made to increase the layout of affordable housing near subway stations, employment-concentrated areas and industrial parks to meet the needs of new urban residents, young people and new employees for balanced work and living.