Residence Status and Housing in Urban China

Market reform in China has created new housing opportunities for urban residents, particularly the option of purchasing former public housing at subsidized prices. This study of Beijing demonstrates that in the reform system, just like the prior socialist system, a large fraction of the population is marginalized from these opportunities by virtue of their status as migrants. Migrants are disproportionately found in relatively high-cost, low quality private rental housing, while native residents continue to dominate the remaining subsidized public rental sector and the purchase of former public housing. The source of inequality is not whether the person is a local or newcomer, but more specifically official classification as a migrant with agricultural registration. Migrants with urban registration are actually advantaged in the new system. Post-2000 data show rapid expansion of new housing produced by the private sector in Beijing and purchased at market prices. It is yet to be seen whether access to this “commodity housing” will overcome discriminatory state allocation policies