Housing tenure choices of rural migrants in urban destinations: a case study of Jiangsu Province, China

Abstract

In China, rural migrants to urban destinations often experience poor living conditions and a low rate of homeownership, which are viewed as the results of urban institutional restrictions. Previous studies have primarily focused on rural migrants’ living conditions and comparisons of housing tenure between migrants and local citizens in large, high-level cities. However, the status and determinants of housing tenure choices of rural migrants in urban destinations other than large cities are generally overlooked. Moreover, several factors, such as rural landholding and migrants’ intention, are rarely studied. Using data from a 2010 survey conducted in Jiangsu Province, multinomial logistic regression models are adopted to explore the features and determinants of rural migrants’ tenure choices in urban destinations. In addition to the urban institutional scheme and housing market, rural land and migrants’ intention are found to play important roles in tenure choices of rural migrants in urban destinations.

Keywords:

• Tenure choice
• rural migrants
• urban destination
• regression model
• Jiangsu Province

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr. Pu Hao for giving constructive advices on the revision of the paper. We also wish to thank the anonymous reviewers and the editor for their comments and suggestions.

Notes

1. China’s hukou system strictly divides residents into urban and rural tiers; registered residency conveys a person’s rights and social benefits. (See Chan & Zhang, 1999.)

2. A mega city = >1 million inhabitants; big city = 500 000 to 1 million inhabitants; medium-sized city = 200 000 to 500 000 inhabitants; and small city = <200 000 inhabitants.

3. China’s official definition of the labor force.