From “access to housing” to “access to decent housing”: A systematic literature review of China’s housing security system

Abstract

Cities are actively engaged in policy and practices addressing urban housing crises and to foster social harmony, security, and stability. As the world's second largest economy, China's housing security system (HSS) has evolved alongside urbanization and economic advancement. Currently, the HSS is undergoing a new transformation. This study systematically reviews research on China's HSS, identifies the characteristics and limitations of current research, proposes future research trends based on new developments, and provides a scientific reference for gaining an in-depth understanding of its future development planning. Research on China's HSS focuses on two primary areas: the supply-side and the demand-side. Future research should also consider the following three aspects: (1) conducting further research on the multi-scheme policy integration and diversified policy choices of housing security supply; (2) thoroughly examining the demand effect of housing security and shifting the research focus from “access to housing” to “access to decent housing”; and (3) using big data to explore more refined and intelligent spatial adaptation analysis of affordable housing.