Press briefing on household registration reform

The Beijing News:

The "Opinions" makes it clear that peasants who have registered as urban residents should be incorporated into the urban housing guarantee system. But there are many peasants who work in cities without registering as urban residents. How to accommodate them? Besides, Shanghai already has been exercising the points system in residence registration, but Beijing has not done so. Minister Huang, do you think Beijing will be able to exercise such a system immediately? Thank you.

Feng Jun:

The residence and employment of migrant workers are two interconnected issues. To address the issue of their residence, the general principle is to "walk on two feet," which means bringing the market allocation of resources, and the government 's exercise of its functions in guarantees and providing public services together. On the other hand, we should encourage migrant workers with financial ability to purchase or rent houses on their own. Second, we should enhance the responsibilities of government and businesses, and incorporate into the housing guarantee system those financially-disadvantaged migrant workers unable to resolve their housing problems. We should meet their needs by providing public rented houses and offer rent subsidies. We will address the problems in three ways.

First, for those peasants who have already registered as urban residents will enjoy the same rights as local citizens. Those who meet the conditions of the housing guarantee system will be completely incorporated into it. Second, migrant workers who have not registered as urban residents but have acquired residence permits will be gradually incorporated into the housing guarantee system and enjoy the related rights if they meet local government conditions such as proof of enduring stable employment, being covered by the social insurance system and having lived in a stable way in a city for fairly long time. We have already asked cities at prefecture-level and above to incorporate such migrant workers into the housing guarantee system. In the development zones and industrial parks where there are a large number of migrant workers, some public rented houses (of a unit or dormitory nature) should be built. Third, for those migrant workers who have not registered as urban citizens and who are unable to meet the housing guarantee conditions, companies hiring them should provide them with a safe and sanitary residence.

Huang Ming:

Concerning the points system, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangdong, Zhejiang and many other provinces and cities have been rolling out such a system and making positive explorations to improve the system. The "Opinions" propose to practice the points system in mega cities and cities with three to five million people, by summarizing previous experiences. Beijing and other cities will put in place their own points system as soon as possible according to the principles laid down by the central government. Each and every region and department will study specific policies and publish details of new measures as soon as possible, and implement them earnestly. Thank you.