Social Housing Landlords: China

China’s socialist institutions have played an important role in social housing provision under both a planned economy and a transitional economy. As the sole public housing provider under the planned economy, the state provided public housing to urban residents mainly through their work units as public welfare. During the market transition, social housing provision has become largely dependent on local governments’ financial contributions, although the state still dominates in housing policy design. The evolution of a free housing market, the state’s homeownership-oriented housing policies, and fiscal decentralisation have contributed to the insufficiency of social housing provision in transitional urban China.