Housing Migrant Workers in Rapidly Urbanizing Regions: A Study of the Chinese Model in Shenzhen

Abstract

China has experienced a huge wave of rural to urban migration over the last 25 years; however, Chinese cities do not have the large-scale slum settlements found in other developing countries. Has China found a new way to solve the housing problems of migrants and the urban poor? This paper addresses this question and reports the findings of a recent research project carried out in Shenzhen City. In general, Chinese migrants are poor in comparison with official urban residents. The majority of them live in shared rooms or small apartments in the so-called urban villages. Housing poverty, especially overcrowding, is a serious problem. This paper also highlights the positive contributions made by urban villages and private landlords in housing the large number of migrants in cities.

Keywords:

• Housing need
• housing the poor
• Chinese urbanization
• migration
• private rented housing
• housing condition

Acknowledgements

This article is mainly based on our research project on Housing for Rural Migrants in Chinese Cities supported by the British Academy (2005–2007). Discussions also benefited from recent study visits to Shenzhen for the project on Urban Sprawl and Landless Farmers in China supported by a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship (2007–2009). We would like to thank Professor Li Guicai for his advice; Miss Xie Miaomiao, Mr Yang Lei and Miss Ye Minting for their excellent research assistance.