Tainan and Kaohsiung Social Housing Targets Cut by 99%? TPP Exposes Taiwan's Housing Demand Data: Lai Administration Forgets Promises After Election

Zhaoji Property Management, a leading rental management company in Taiwan, has been exposed for a massive financial shortfall and related disputes. Hua Jing-chun, Chairman of the National Housing and Urban Development Center, stated on the 12th that the previously frozen accounts of Zhaoji have now been unfrozen, and discussions with a banking consortium will be held to address debt restructuring and financing issues.

Meanwhile, Taipei City Councilors Huang Jing-ying and Chen You-Cheng held a press conference at the TPP headquarters this afternoon, criticizing President Lai Qingde’s pre-election 'One Million Renting Households Support Program.' They accused the government’s social housing (social housing, or 'she zhai') policy of practicing 'housing justice before elections, immediate amnesia after elections.'

The TPP convened a press conference at its central headquarters titled 'Lai Administration Breaks Social Housing Promises; Rental Management Market Becomes a Breeding Ground for Fraud as Bad Money Drives Out Good,' addressing issues raised during the morning Interior Committee session in the Legislative Yuan, including social housing policy and Zhaoji’s financial shortfall. In addition to Huang and Chen, several victims of alleged fraud by Zhaoji Property Management appeared to share their experiences.

Regarding social housing policy, Huang Jing-ying cited data from OURs Urban Reform Organization, pointing out that the government’s pre-election target of constructing 130,000 units has been slashed to just 30,000 units within two years.

Huang criticized the Lai administration for constantly accusing opposition parties of cutting budgets and obstructing budget reviews, while itself slashing NT$210 billion from social housing budgets. She emphasized that housing justice requires long-term planning and consistent execution, and that President Lai has simply abandoned this commitment.

Chen You-Cheng, a renter himself, criticized the DPP, which once joined citizens in the 'Shell-less Snail Movement' 40 years ago, for failing to improve housing conditions or achieve housing justice despite nine years in power. He cited a survey commissioned by the TPP in March, showing that over 78% of Taiwanese agree that social housing should meet the international standard of 5% of total housing.

Chen further referenced Ministry of the Interior data indicating that over 70% of the public are willing to rent social housing, and over 80% need it. He concluded that housing justice transcends the blue-green political divide and is a policy demanded by all Taiwanese. However, original construction targets across counties and cities have been reduced to varying degrees, with Tainan and Kaohsiung seeing cuts as high as 99%.

Chen urged: 'Citizens who care about housing justice and believe the government should improve living conditions should give the DPP a chance to be voted out in the year-end elections for serious reevaluation.'