Beijing: A senior housing official in China says that by the end of last year, the per capita housing construction area in urban areas in China exceeded 40 sq m.

Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong, announced the data at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing.

He said the ministry has continuously optimised policies, improved the housing security system and strived to ensure that all people have access to housing.

Ni noted that by the end of 2023, more than 64 million units of various types of government-subsidised housing and shantytown renovation housing have been built nationwide, benefiting over 150 million people.

The ministry also focused on the renovation of old residential communities in urban areas and accelerated the construction of urban infrastructure last year.

Meanwhile, the urban built-up area has reached 64,000 sq km, Ni said, stressing that the urbanisation rate of the permanent resident population has reached 66.16%, meaning that over 930 million people live in urban areas.

“Urban functions are continuously improving and the urban living environment is steadily getting better,” the minister said.

“More than 250,000 old residential communities in urban areas were renovated last year, benefiting over 44 million households or approximately 110 million people.”

He also noted that efforts are being made to promote the industrialisation, digitalisation and green transformation of the construction industry, contributing to economic development.

Besides, the total output value of the construction industry reached 31.6 trillion yuan or about US$4.4 trillion last year, providing jobs for over 50 million people, Ni said, emphasising that the priority of the Chinese modernisation is people’s livelihood.

In the next phase, the ministry will focus on ensuring that people have access to green, low-carbon, intelligent and safe housing, and accelerating the development of a new model for the real estate industry, the minister said.

During the news conference, the ministry also outlined the key priorities for this year.

Vice-minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Qin Haixiang, said that the ministry plans to renovate over 50,000 old residential communities.

The main task is to address issues such as the installation of elevators, parking and charging facilities, he said. “On this basis, efforts will be made to promote the renewal and renovation of old streets and factory areas.”

 - China Daily