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China CONSTRUCTION
Housing Construction
Modern housing has been in chronic shortage in contemporary
China. Housing conditions in 1949 were primitive and crowded, and
massive population growth since then has placed great strains on
the nation's building industry. According to 1985 estimates, 46
million additional units of housing, or about 2.4 billion square
meters of floor space, would be needed by the year 2000 to house
every urban family. Adequate housing was defined as an average of
eight square meters of living space per capita. However, as of
1984, the average per capita living space was only 4.8 square
meters. Housing specialists suggested that the housing construction
and allocation system be reformed and that the eight-square-meter
target be achieved in two stages: six square meters by 1990 and the
additional two square meters between 1990 and 2000. To help relieve
the situation, urban enterprises were increasing investment in
housing for workers. In 1985 housing built by state and collective
enterprises in cities and towns totaled 130 million square meters
of floor space. In the countryside, housing built by farmers was
700 million square meters.
Data as of July 1987
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