Sun Xiang, 24, a video editor for Hong Kong Satellite TV in Shenzhen, moved into a new one-bedroom apartment at the end of last year. She pays only 600 yuan per month for the 30-square-meter flat in downtown Shenzhen. At a time of rent rising in China this sum is affordable for the graduate, whose monthly salary is 3,500 yuan.

 

　　24岁的孙翔（音译）是来自深圳香港卫视的一名视频剪辑师，去年年底她搬进了一处新的一居室。租下这间位于深圳市中心的30平公寓，她每月只需付600元。在目前国内房租飞涨的时期，对于一个月薪3500元的毕业生来说，这一价格还是可以接受的。

 

　　“It is a publicly *subsidized apartment. It’s not difficult to get. You just hand in your application,” said Sun.

 

　　孙说：“这是一套公租房。申请起来也不难。你只需要递交一份申请表就行了。”

 

　　According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, 10 million homes will be built this year to help solve China’s accommodation problem. Some 2.2 million of these will be public rental homes, six times the number built last year.

 

　　住房与城乡建设部的数据显示，今年将会建造一千万套住房来协助解决国内的住房问题。其中约220万套将作为公租房，这一数字是去年公租房总数的六倍。

 

　　What’s different from previous years is that increasing numbers of projects will accept young renters.

 

　　和前些年有所不同的是，安居工程新增的房屋数量将会考虑到年轻租房者的切身利益。

 

　　Rent rises

 

　　房租上涨

 

　　The National Bureau of Statistics report shows the rent cost in Beijing rose 11.4 percent in August, further driving up the local CPI. Rising rent means that many graduates struggle to find *affordable homes. They are forced either to live in substandard accommodation in downtown areas; or to live on the city’s *outskirts and face long commutes every day.

 

　　由国家统计局发布的报告显示，8月份北京房租上涨了11.4%，进一步推动了当地消费者物价指数的上涨。租金上涨也意味着，众多毕业生难以找到价格可以接受的住房。他们不得不选择住在城区简陋的房屋或是较远的城郊，每天面临漫长的通勤。

 

　　These young people are nicknamed “sandwich layer” – they cannot afford to buy their own properties, but are not qualified to receive subsidies.

 

　　这些年轻人被称为“夹层人”— 他们买不起房子，但又不具备接受补助的资格。

 

　　Now the government is coming to their aid. A State Council meeting on September 19 announced a plan to lower the *threshold so that more young workers can be included in public rental housing schemes. Most of the properties provided are 40-square-meter apartments, which are suitable for young people.

 

　　现在政府部门正在向他们伸出援手。9月19日召开的国务院常务会议宣布一项降低门槛的计划，旨在让更多年轻工作者能够被纳入到公租房体系中。大部分由政府提供的公租房为40平米小户型，十分适宜年轻人居住。

 

　　Several cities are leading the way. Guangdong, for example, launched a public rental housing plan in May last year.

 

　　一些城市也成为了这一计划的先行者。例如，广东省去年5月份就发布了一项公租房计划。

 

　　It aims to help people on low incomes, particularly graduates, who struggle to find affordable accommodation.

 

　　它旨在帮助低收入人群，特别是那些难以租到价格合适房屋的毕业生人群。

 

　　It is based on the public housing policy in Hong Kong, which was launched in 1993. In Hong Kong the average public housing rent is 1,320 HK dollars (1,082 yuan), one third of the market price; 29 percent of its residents live in 710,000 public homes.

 

　　该计划以1993年发布的香港公共住房政策为基础。在香港，公共房屋的平均租金为1320港元（约合1082元人民币），是市场价格的三分之一。29%的香港居民住在由政府提供的71万套公租房中。

 

　　According to Sun, it is quite easy to apply for public housing in Shenzhen. If you are under 26, a graduate with a bachelor’s degree or above, unmarried and have a stable job in Shenzhen, all you need is an identification card, education and working certificate. The procedure is simple. The applications are handed to the employers and ones’ income has generally not been considered so far.

 

　　据孙翔透露，在深圳申请公租房十分容易。如果你年龄在26岁以下，拥有本科及以上学历，单身未婚，并且在深圳有稳定的工作，你所需要的仅仅是身份证，学历证书以及工作证明就可以了。申请过程也很简单。这些申请表将会被交到雇主手中，到目前为止，个人收入并没有纳入考虑范围内。

 

　　Worried

 

　　忧心忡忡

 

　　There are still some problems. As many of the properties are not furnished, young renters are worried about the cost of furnishing them and buying equipment.

 

　　但公租房仍存在一些问题。由于很多公租房都是“毛坯房”，年轻的租客担心装修房屋以及置办家具的开销过大。

 

　　The unsuitable location of some projects keeps applicants at bay. The Futian district, in central Shenzhen, has created 550 public homes. But nearly half of the apartments are empty.

 

　　一些安居工程也因为位置不当使得申请者望而却步。深圳中心区福田区已经建造了550套公租房，但近半住房处于闲置状态。

 

　　Yang Jun, director of the construction bureau in Futian district, said most of the public properties are located in the south while local residents are used to living in the northern part of the district.

 

　　福田区建委主任杨俊（音译）表示，大部分的公租房处于福田南部，而当地居民则习惯于住在该区的北部。

 

　　What’s more, some substandard accommodation in the *marginal areas of the district are even cheaper than public rental homes, which are half the market price.

 

　　此外，位于福田区市郊的一些简陋居所甚至比公租房更便宜，仅为市价的一半。

 

　　Shi Yongqing, chairman of Centaline Property Agency Limited in Hong Kong, said locations for public housing are carefully considered. “In Hong Kong the government saves space for public houses when planning urban areas,” said Shi.

 

　　香港中原地产董事长施永青称，需认真考虑公租房的位置。施永青说：“香港政府在做城市规划时会为公租房预留空间。”

 

　　Cheng Lianyuan, head of Chaoyang district in Beijing, said that local government is ceaseless in its effort to expand public housing and young worker’s needs are considered.

 

　　北京朝阳区区长程连元表示，当地政府会不遗余力扩大公租房建设，并考虑到年轻工作者的需求。

 

　　The houses will mainly be for young professionals who are based in the district. So, most of the properties are a 20-minute bike ride from the metro.

 

　　这些住房主要是为朝阳区年轻的专业技术人员配备的。因此，大多数房屋距离地铁骑自行车只需20分钟。