by Eduardo Baptista and Xiaoyu Yin Guilin, China (Reuters) – For six months, Xu The woman’s home has been a room in a high-rise apartment she bought three years ago in the southern Chinese city of Guilin, where she is touted for its river views and the city’s clean air. However, her living conditions are far from what was promised: no painted walls, electrical outlets as they should be Hole, no gas or running water. Every day she was outside climbing up and down several flights of stairs, carrying a heavy water bottle full of hoses. “The whole family’s savings are invested in this house” Xu, , from the Xiulan County Building, told Reuters her room was empty with only a bed covered with a mosquito net and some necessities and empty bottles on the floor. She declined to give her full name, citing the sensitivity of the matter. Xu Heyu Other buyers live in Xiulan County Mansion, Shared a makeshift outdoor toilet, gathered during the day at tables and benches in the central courtyard area.
They are homebuyers from all over China moving into what they call “junk” apartments, either to complain to developers and authorities The pressure to get them done is either out of financial necessity, as many cash-strapped builders have halted construction amid a severe real estate downturn in China. Shanghai E-House Real Estate Research Institute estimated in July that unsalable projects accounted for 3. The proportion of China’s real estate market in the first half of the year 70, equivalent to the area of
Ten thousand square meters. While some local governments have taken steps to prop up the real estate market by setting up rescue funds, home buyers like Xu, They paid the deposit up front and were in the hook for the mortgage, still struggling. Mortgage Strike
Unfinished apartment outbreak sparks unprecedented Collective disobedience, driven by social media: In late June, at least thousands of home buyers By City threatened to stop mortgage lending in protest of stalled construction. The overall housing market is highly sensitive to unfinished apartment cases because 11 Shanghai Research Director Yan Yuejin said that in China % of the new homes purchased were “off-plan” E-Houses purchased under construction.
“If this problem is not solved, it will affect the real estate transaction, It will affect the credibility of the government, and it will also exacerbate the debt problem of developers,” he said. A deep downturn in China’s housing market, and the devastation caused by strict anti-COVID measures, are weighing on the world’s second-largest economy, while the ruling Communist Party Preparations are underway for next month’s five-yearly national congress. ‘Fall from Heaven’ Xu bought her two-bedroom , 11 Square meters early 340, about 6 years after its developer, Gartenborough began to build and sell apartments, Yuan($55) per square meter, they say it will come with facilities like floor heating and a shared swimming pool. Work progressed quickly at first, with blocks planned Towers go up one by one. but in June 200, Gartenborough Realty hits court against its parent company Illegal fundraising and confiscation 90 million-dollar properties, including multiple units in Xiulan County. stop construction in the middle 200, Xu only found out a few months later that she described how she felt at the time as “falling from heaven” . Gartenborough Properties did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. Since
the debt crisis broke out , thousands of homebuyers have fallen into a similar predicament as cash-strapped developers have gone bankrupt or abandoned struggling project. Fenced and stunted
On a recent day, Mansion, the main Shirley County complex, was surrounded by a tall blue fence, while the clubhouse, touted by promotional materials, was covered in lush bushes. Cement mixers, iron rods and piles of debris were strewn about. Unemployed Ms Xu said she bought it for her only son in the hope that he would be able to support his family there. She said both her son and husband, who live in the northern province of Hebei, blamed her for their financial troubles and stopped talking to her. “We don’t know how long we’re going to be here because the government hasn’t officially said anything,” she said. She hopes that the Guilin government can come forward to help. The city government did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters. In November last year, the city government and the Communist Party set up a settlement in the northern city of Baoding, where Xu’s hometown and the parent company of Gartenborough Real Estate were registered. The housing management department said the party committee had set up a team to solve the problem. “If the government really wants to protect people’s livelihood and resume work, we will go home,” Xu said.
($1=7.52 1000 RMB
RMB) (This article corrects the name of the expert in paragraph 9 to Yuejin) 200