Study On Legal Systems Of Housing Security

How to improve the housing conditions of people with low income is a common problem all around the world.The housing system in China has been reformed from free allocation to market directed,which affected sustained economic growth and social stability.The Chinese government has realized the importance of housing security system.It is in great need for the legal planners to set up legal system of housing security.There is a long history of international research of housing security, resulting in many mature research methods and effective research results. Due to the unique condition in our country,existing foreign research results can not be applied completely in China.Therefore,this paper follows the way of supply-side security and demand-side security to do systemic research,based on existing research results,in order to re-construct theoretic basis for the legal system of housing security in China.Due to the inherent limitation of housing and housing market,it is difficult for the people with low income to obtain housing for themselves. Through improving the fairness of wealth allocation,housing security system helps the families with low income to get proper housing and living environment,which would make the society more stable and united.For efficiency and fairness,it is essential for the government to intervene in the market in proper way and to burden the function of housing security.Filtering theory and Housing Affordability theory are the logic starting point and the theoretical basis of housing security.As durable goods, houses will become older and the housing market will be adjusted inevitably,forming Down-Filtering,which explains the rule of structural layers and mutual effects of housing markets.The necessity of housing security is the gap between housing affordability and market price.Housing affordability is not only related with houses themselves but with housing expenses and residents' earnings.Lowering the costs and raising the earnings can both solve the problem.To ensure that the housing need of every resident can be satisfied,we have to judge his housing affordability firstly,with relative measure,subjective approach,family budget standards approach and ratio approach.Housing security legal system includes supply-side security and demand-side security.Supply-side security requires the government to adjust housing supplies with legal measures.Demand-side security requires the government to offer subsidies to families with low income to increase their housing affordability.The practice in developed countries experienced the change from supply-side security to demand-side security.During the initial stage of housing market,the US government took measures of supply-side security.The same is with UK.After the housing problem had been solved generally,the housing policy changed to demand-side security, including promoting public house going private,encouraging private subsidy.Singapore takes both models at the same time.The example of supply-side security is public housing such as Condominiums.Home Ownership for the People Scheme and Central Provident Fund are measures of demand-side security.The experience of developed countries shows that the problem of housing security will exist for long.There is no way to solve is completely. The security method will change according to different times.Specifically, supply-side demand includes massive subsidies to build social housing, subsidies to the private sector,inclusionary zone,price control,etc. Demand-side security includes rent supplement,housing subsidies,tax deduction,right-to-buy sales,etc.There is no stable model.Generally speaking,when the high price results from supply deficiency,it is proper to take supply-side security,and demand-side security is preferred on the contrary. At present,the housing security system in China has been framed with affordable housing,low-rent housing,and housing provident fund. Affordable housing and low-rent housing are types of supply-side security. Rent supplement is typical of demand-side security.There are problems of supply deficiency,high price,few beneficiaries with affordable housing, few-covered,low standard,lack of balance with low-rent housing,and lack of safeguards,few-covered,low efficiency with housing provident fund.It is critical to reconstruct the housing security legal system in China.As to the objects,relief security should be combined with assistance security.As to the standard,housing affordability should be balanced with financial affordability.As to the security methods,many methods should be used and adjusted according to circumstances.As to the responsibility,local government and central government should make it clear.In addition,in order to solve the problem of financial affordability,it is useful to learn the model of Inclusionary Zone of the US,Gain and Obligations Mechanism of the UK,to improve the system of building affordable houses.And meanwhile,the experience of shared ownership in the US and the UK is also meaningful for us.