Challenges for housing rural-to-urban migrants in Beijing

China is undergoing dramatic changes through the rapid economic development that is associated with rapid urbanisation, which leads to nationwide migration. As many as 5,000,000 rural migrants have moved to Beijing. This research explores the challenge of appropriate housing to accommodate these migrants as the consequence of the dual urban and rural population registration system (hukou). The hukou system restrains the accessibility to various affordable housing mechanisms that are only available for urban hukou holders. Through analysing various existing alternative affordable housing policies, the authors have come to a view that the rented basement has been a compromise solution for migrants in Beijing. However, living in basement creates several social, economic and environmental issues, as noted through detailed surveys of the authors in the three specific cases in Beijing. It is the view of the authors that some of these problems were generated by the inappropriate management and in contradiction to policies made by the local government. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.