Economic Watch: Quality homes — new vision for China’s property sector amid market adjustment

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) — For a long period of time, owning a home has been a common aspiration among Chinese citizens who rushed to towns and cities during the country’s urbanization drive. However, this aspiration is increasingly evolving as people are now placing more focus on the quality of their living conditions.

For the first time, the phrase “quality homes” was featured in the government work report unveiled during this year’s “two sessions.” From aspiring to have a home to pursuing a quality home to live in, this change reflects both the people’s ever-improving sense of happiness and the adjustment of supply and demand in China’s real estate market.

“To meet people’s demand for high-quality housing, we will improve the standards and regulations on building quality homes that are safe, comfortable, eco-friendly, and smart,” the report noted. Once it was made public, topics about quality homes have sparked extensive discussions among lawmakers, political advisors and the public.

WHAT DEFINES A QUALITY HOME

While the standards of a quality home may vary across different eras, the concept transcends mere shelter, focusing more on the quality of life.

China’s housing market has made substantial strides with the per-capita housing floor area in urban areas having exceeded 40 square meters, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong said at a press conference on the sidelines of the “two sessions.”

Residents’ expectations for a quality home now include higher ceilings, better ventilation, better access to sunshine, enhanced soundproofing, cleaner indoor air, and optimal humidity and temperature control, the minister added.

With these features, quality homes are set to address Chinese residents’ long-standing concerns such as noise pollution, leaks and cracks, especially for those living in decades-old apartments, according to Ni.

For national political advisor Zhang Guanghan, a quality home means living in a space that harmonizes tradition and modernity.

As a senior planner from the China Academy of Urban Planning & Design, Zhang attaches more attention to the conservation of old city areas and traditional residential buildings. In his view, quality homes should retain historical and cultural values while being equipped with modern facilities.

HOW TO BUILD QUALITY HOMES

Considering new expectations from homebuyers, it’s necessary to leverage new technologies, new products and new materials in home building, according to Ni, who added that the ministry has been drafting guidelines and standards for quality home construction.

“A notable requirement is that the minimum ceiling height should be no lower than three meters,” he said.

According to China’s existing standards on home design effective from 2012, the ceiling height standard is 2.8 meters.

Wu Jing, head of center for real estate at Tsinghua University, said that a higher ceiling height will contribute to easier access to sunshine and ventilation, thus improving the sense of comfort.

In addition, emerging technologies are also indispensable in quality housing, Ni said, highlighting smart features such as automated lighting, voice-controlled curtains, the smart adjustment of temperature and humidity, and even refrigerator inventory alerts.

The same sentiment was shared by Peng Shou, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a deputy of the National People’s Congress. Having conducted extensive research in new glass materials, Peng said quality materials constitute the foundation of quality housing.

Peng called for applying green, safe and environmentally-friendly materials, fostering a national building materials technology innovation center, and improving the quality and standards tracing system for building materials.

When constructing quality housing, efforts should also be made to foster a sense of community, belonging and recognition to improve residents’ happiness levels, Zhang Guanghan said.

In the future, China will combine the building of quality homes with the implementation of urban renewal projects and the renovation of old urban residential communities, according to Ni.

Official data showed that China had initiated 56,000 projects last year aimed at renovating old urban residential communities, adding over 25,000 elevators to existing buildings and constructing 2,254 facilities for elderly care.

Responding to the property market fluctuations, Ni said China will resolutely restore stability in the real estate market, with efforts to provide strong financing support for eligible housing projects and ensure timely delivery of homes to buyers.

While the government has rolled out a mix of policies to prop up the sector, more work will be done this year to consolidate the effects of related measures, including interest rate cuts, lending support and tax reductions, he said.