The community-based partnership approach for affordable housing development : a case in Shenzhen, China

Abstract

Affordable housing has been a crucial urban issue in China. Given its fast-paced urbanization process, China is experiencing a dramatic increase in the demand for affordable housing. At the same time, the affordable housing is in short supply due to the demolition of existing low-income housing during the urban renewal process, and the lack of funding for housing construction. In the United States, the affordable housing industry is relatively well-developed with a comprehensive system and a mature research framework. The literature in this area is complete with policy, financing and design. However, in China, research on affordable housing has not yet been conducted on a comprehensive basis, with existing research mostly focused on physical planning and design. This thesis recognizes that in order to solve the problems, a comprehensive system for affordable housing development should be established. A comprehensive affordable system needs to consist of six major components: policy, planning, design, financing, and partnership. However, the scope of this research will deal with only the partnership aspect, which is about how a variety of entities collaborate in each stage of affordable housing development. This thesis will investigate the feasibility and potential of community-based partnership approach in providing affordable housing in the context of China's urbanization and urban renewal. It will first examine the housing affordability in China. It will then look at the current affordable housing system in China. The third part presents and companies the affordable housing system in the United States and its use of community-based partnerships.

(cont.) This will be followed by a case study of Shenzhen's urban villages and urban village corporations. Finally, the paper will make suggestions for the Shenzhen case, and provide examples of potential community-based partnerships as well as future steps of research