On the 21st, reporters learned from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development that 2.89 million new housing units have been started nationwide this year, and about 2.07 million units have been started from January to July, accounting for 71.6% of the annual target tasks, with an investment of more than 600 billion yuan completed.

This year is the second year of the implementation of the three-year housing reform plan. The State Council executive meeting held on May 24, 2017 decided to implement the three-year shantytown reform plan from 2018 to 2020 to renovate 15 million units of various types of shantytowns, fulfilling the promise of transforming urban shantytowns and urban villages where about 100 million people live. Last year, 6.26 million units were renovated in various types of shantytowns across the country, successfully completing the annual target and completing an investment of 1.74 trillion yuan.

The continuous advancement of shantytown reform has improved the housing conditions of residents in shantytowns. From 2008 to 2018, a total of 45.22 million housing units have been built nationwide, and more than 100 million residents have moved out of their sheds and into buildings. Housing reform also promotes the sustainable development of forest areas, reclamation areas, and state-owned industries and mines. By the end of 2018, a total of 1.66 million units, 2.42 million units, and 3.06 million units had been renovated in forested areas, reclamation areas, and state-owned industrial and mining shantytowns (dangerous housing), respectively. Workers bid farewell to damp and dark shantytowns and simple houses and moved into spacious, bright new homes with better infrastructure.