More dormitory accommodation is to be developed to meet the
needs of an increasing number of migrant workers and avoid the
safety problems associated with "collective rentals", a spokeswoman
for the Shanghai municipal government said yesterday.
Jiao Yang said the local government had drawn up a plan to
convert commercial buildings, such as warehouses, into low-cost
homes for the city's ever expanding labor force.
"As the city's economy has grown and the industry structure has
changed, many old factory buildings and warehouses have been turned
into apartments," she said.
"So it makes good sense for the government to use this idea to
provide housing for migrant workers. By doing so, we also hope to
curb the market for collective rentals (the unlicensed division of
apartments into multiple low-cost cubicles) and remove the safety
risks associated with them," Jiao said.
Soaring purchase and rental prices in Shanghai have put most
housing options out of the reach of migrant workers. Lots of new
apartments are being built, but few people can afford them, she
said.
Despite the rising prices, people from across the countryside
continue to flood to the city. But while there are plenty of jobs
for them, there is a definite lack of affordable housing, Jiao
said.
With its housing plan, the government is making the safety of
migrant workers its top priority, she said.
(China Daily November 15, 2007)
