Reference News Network, January 12 report: On January 9, Singapore's Asia News Channel website published an article titled "Why has 'good housing' become a new priority after China has been rapidly building housing for decades?" The following is a compilation of the content:

Last September, Liu Jun (a pseudonym) was preparing to move into his new home in Baoshan District, Shanghai. This house, worth about 8 million yuan, was the biggest expense of his life.

To ensure peace of mind, he spent around 300 yuan on a pre-delivery home inspection. However, the inspection revealed a major problem. Liu said, "We found water leakage on the main bedroom wall and high humidity."

Addressing these issues has now become a key focus of a broader policy, the promotion of "good housing," aimed at guiding the real estate industry to move away from a model that only pursued speed and scale, and instead focus on safety, livability, and long-term use, while also supporting the development of the real estate sector.

New national standards have raised the minimum residential ceiling height, imposed stricter requirements for residential soundproofing, and expanded the coverage of elevators and barrier-free facilities.

Lin Hansheng, director of Asia Group China, said, "This strategic shift towards 'good housing' is essentially to rebalance the economy, shifting from speculative assets to high-quality living."

The Chinese government's 2025 work report first defined "good housing" with four standards: safety, comfort, greenness, and intelligence. At a meeting at the end of October last year, the Communist Party mentioned the concept of "good housing" when outlining the priorities of the "14th Five-Year Plan." Meanwhile, the Central Economic Work Conference in December last year reiterated the push for "good housing" construction.

In official statements, the emphasis on this concept marks a shift in housing construction from a quantity-driven approach to one centered on quality, livability, and durability.

The introduction of "good housing" standards indicates that there may be some quality issues in newly built housing. Analysts say these problems reflect deeper flaws, as years of pursuing speed have led to neglect of housing quality.

Xi Guangliang, a researcher at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at Nanjing University, said that many of these issues are not new, but have long been ignored due to rapid expansion over the years.

Analysts believe that policymakers are increasingly viewing China's real estate issues as matters of market confidence and transformation, rather than a cyclical slowdown that can be addressed through short-term stimulus.

Pan Wanxia, a staff member of Guangzhou Central Land Development, said she could already feel the changes. She said that today's buyers no longer focus solely on one factor, such as location or price, but consider the housing quality, layout, property management, and long-term livability as a whole.

Xi Guangliang said that quality regulation in China has traditionally focused on new home delivery, while regulations on second-hand renovations and short-term rentals are very weak. He said, "If the goal of 'good housing' is to rebuild confidence, the scope should also be expanded from new home delivery to renovation, rental, and long-term management."

Policy makers have also linked the "good housing" policy with urban renewal, including the upgrading and renovation of old residential communities.

In addition to setting higher standards, this policy places more emphasis on using better building materials, implementing stricter quality management during construction, and utilizing technology to improve energy efficiency and the livability of houses throughout their entire lifecycle.

Analysts say that the significance of this shift lies not only in improving individual technical standards but also in how they will reshape the incentive mechanisms of the real estate industry.

Lin Hansheng said, "Focusing on high-quality housing construction reflects a shift in the incentive structure: this policy drives the industry to 'survival of the fittest' by linking future project approvals and financing with quality benchmarks."

In practice, analysts point out that this may gradually reshape the evaluation system for developers, emphasizing delivery records, construction quality, and compliance, rather than just considering scale. (Translated by Zhang Sihao)

The 22nd China International Housing Industry Exhibition and Building Industrialization Products and Equipment Expo opened in Beijing on November 6, 2025. (Xinhua News Agency)

Original source: toutiao.com/article/7594379388360180275/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author."