The changing mode of housing provision in transitional China

Owing to political constraints, China's economic reform has been carried out gradually. The failure of the old housing system under the centrally planned economy prompted innovations in creating a new structure of housing provision. The same strategy of incremental changes has been adopted in China housing reform as has been in the general economic reforms. The transitional mode of housing provision has alleviated the problem of urban housing shortages to a great extent. However, it has also complicated the attempt to achieve a market-oriented system of housing development and investment with clear and enforceable property rights because an old institution of housing provision, danwei, is still in place.