China started the building 47.18 million square meters of economically affordable housing in the first eight months this year, involving a total investment of 65.9 billion yuan (US$9.7 billion), the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development said Monday.

Meanwhile, 1.33 million flats of low-rent housing were being built since the fourth quarter of last year till August this year, with an investment of 48.1 billion yuan.

The economically affordable housing program, approved by the government in 2007, aims to provide low-income urban households a less costly option in buying a house.

Such apartments have government-guided sizes and prices. A certain portion of land for building such houses should be allocated and prioritized in residential housing building plans of local governments. The plans should also be made public.

The low-rent housing program, approved this June, expects to provide accommodation for 7.47 million difficult urban households from 2009 to 2011.

(Xinhua News Agency October 6, 2009)