For the greater good: modern China’s struggle on housing shortage

Abstract The examination of housing shortages in China presents a fascinating subject that is rarely directly addressed. This topic not only captures our interest due to the irony in a communist country but also in light of the profound transformation of Chinese society, evolving from an agrarian civilization to a modern industrialized state. The objective of this essay is to establish a comprehensive framework that encompasses economic, social, and architectural narratives as an integrated whole. This essay delves into the historical trajectory of housing shortages in modern China, tracing the evolution of this issue within Chinese society since the founding of the communist regime in 1949. Given China’s unique industrial and residential policy framework, housing provision is intrinsically linked to state-owned factories and residential certification, commonly referred to as hukou. As the political and economic foundations have shifted over time, so too has the root cause of housing shortages. In addition to general historical and theoretical research, we have undertaken an in-depth examination of Lanxi City, one of the industrial clusters established in China. The case study of Lanxi City involves a series of visits and interviews conducted within local factories and communities. Our analysis identifies two distinct phases in this evolution: the “fundamentalist communist era” and the transitional period toward a market economy. Each of these eras can be further subdivided into four distinct phases, providing a more nuanced perspective. Our findings reveal that various housing distribution mechanisms have contributed to the issue of housing shortages. During the first era, housing shortages were primarily a result of hukou restrictions, industrial disparities, sluggish construction processes, and corporate profit considerations. In the latter phase, spanning the 1980s and 1990s, housing shortages were exacerbated by escalating costs and a slow rate of housing unit replenishment. As the new millennium unfolded, real estate bubbles compounded the housing crisis, with older neighborhoods ill-suited for modern living. Our interviews and visits complemented our literature research, offering valuable insights into the systemic exploitation of specific groups in pursuit of broader goals, hence the title. This paper underscores the housing shortage in China as a consequence of economic disparities between urban and rural regions, as well as between the prosperous East coast and the underdeveloped West hinterland.