
The Beijing Daily Messenger, formerly known as the Star Daily, is a weekday newspaper distributed on the Beijing subway. Today’s top headline says, “In three years, 130,000 households will receive subsidized housing by the city.” According to the Municipal Housing Commission, there are 270,000 households in Beijing in need of housing subsidies. 140,000 have already received help, and the city plans to provide subsidies to the remaining 130,000 by 2015. The city also plans to provide housing-rental subsidies to 100,000 families, and complete 700,000 units of affordable housing in various forms over the next three years.
The policies come jointly from Beijing’s Municipal Housing Commission and the Municipal Development and Reform Committee in accordance with their “Bejing Municipality “12th five-year plan” housing guarantee plan,” which seeks to increase affordable housing for city residents. The article reports that the city will expand the supply of public rental housing by 60% during the current five-year period, which will raise the number of affordable housing units to 300,000.
The featured picture was taken yesterday, at a meeting of the Beijing Municipal Publicity Department. The meeting discussed plans for a public celebration of “Tiananmen Square,” which has been present for 3,000 years of Beijing history. Olivia Chen, pictured second from the left, is head of the Beijing Performing Arts group. She will direct the large-scale festival of music, dance, poetry and painting that will be unveiled on May 16.
Links and Sources:
北京信报: 13万家庭3年住上保障房 ,《天安门》弘扬北京精神