THE scandal-plagued government-subsidized housing scheme has made headlines again.
A cheap housing project in Kuichong in Longggang District was discovered to have been designed according to official government standards, the Daily Sunshine reported Saturday.
According to the paper, the 310-home project included 20 apartments of 110 square meters each, the size designated for medium-ranked government officials; 133 apartments of 85 square meters each, the size designated for section chiefs, and 157 homes of 75 square meters each for government employees.
The paper said that, according to a government-subsidized housing project proposal released by the Longgang District Housing and Construction Subbureau in 2009, it was planned to build 200 cheap government homes ranging in sizes from 55 to 60 square meters each on a 21,200-square meter parcel of land on Huixing West Road, in addition to the 310 larger homes for government employees and officials.
The proposal was confirmed to be genuine by Li Zhongdong, a vice director of the agency s housing management division. Li s government ranking has him eligible for a 85-sqm apartment.
It is true, but there is some misunderstanding by the public, Li told the Daily.
Many Internet users questioned the nature of the project. Is it to improve the livelihoods of low-income families in the city or for government officials?
Some Internet users said the homes were designed for government officials in the name of improving the livelihoods of the general public. It is theft. It stole the name of government-subsidized housing, said an Internet user, who identified himself online as luoyc518.
However, Li insisted that there was no foul play. It [the construction of the bigger homes] complied with government regulations, Li said.
He said the construction of the 310 bigger homes has been approved by the city government in 2003 and they were built for officials and employees of the Kuichong Subdistrict government office. It was clearly stated in the proposal [that the homes were for the public servants].
This is the latest scandal in the troubled government-subsidized housing project launched in 2004 to help low-income families in the face of skyrocketing property prices.
In January when the second round of government assessment of applications for government low-cost homes, forged financial statements were found in a number of applications forms with some applicants claiming to have zero family assets. Some applicants also made it to the final eligibility list even though they owned luxury cars and companies.
Inferior quality was also found in the second phase of the government-subsidized Taoyuancun housing estate. (SD News)
