Legislation Sought to Shield Poor

NPC(全国人大)deputies(代表) and CPPCC(全国政协)members have joined members of the public in calling for legislation（立法） to ensure an adequate （适当的）stock of housing for low-income families in the face of rising property prices.

An online forum（论坛）entitled "Submit your questions to the premier（总理）" on China Daily's website shows housing for low-income people is a key concern for many people. The forum was a joint effort by China Daily and 11 other domestic media companies including CCTV, Xinhua, People's Daily and www.china.org.cn. Besides housing, the forum also invites people to weigh in on inflation（通货膨胀）, healthcare and immigrant workers. One netizen（网民） said she hoped housing prices would be brought under control and that there is enough housing for all who need it. "I hope there will be no discrimination（歧视） against those who have left their hometowns and moved to the city," she said.

Yang Weichen is an NPC deputy and vice-president of the All-China Lawyers Association. He said the government should pass laws to protect people from the vicissitudes of the housing market. He said: "Any law should spell out the government's responsibility to ensure an adequate supply of housing, rather than a market-oriented（导向的） regulation to maintain order in the real estate market." Yang also said the housing supply should not be left solely to the market or developers' sense of social responsibility, and low- and middle-income families, need guarantees, He said the law should allow the government to arrange for non-profit organizations to build housing units that cannot be traded on the market.

Property prices have increased so much in recent years that they have become a political concern. In 70 major cities, the year-on-year increase hit 11 percent in January. A typical household has to save for years just to afford a 70 sq m apartment. And in cities such as Beijing, the growth in prices has been even faster. In January, the year-on-year increase for a new home hit 14.3 percent. A netizen named Winston said it was time for the government to act before the bubble burst, leading to woes（悲哀） similar to those created by the subprime crisis in the United States.

Premier Wen Jiabao pledged in his government work report to support environment-friendly construction that conserves energy and land, increase the supply of small-and-medium-sized condominiums, and help people find affordable housing.