Minister promises renovation of aging urban communities

China will strive to renovate more than 50,000 old urban residential communities this year to benefit 20 million residents, said Ni Hong, minister of housing and urban-rural development.

One key concern in this endeavor is the renovation of shared areas in residential buildings. Aside from measures to prevent safety hazards, elevators will be added to buildings where conditions permit, he told reporters on Tuesday in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the sidelines of the ongoing first session of the 14th National People's Congress.

Efforts will also be made to improve supporting facilities in these communities. More charging piles and nursing facilities for the elderly will be built, the minister said.

A total of 167,000 old residential communities have been renovated across the country in the past five years, benefiting 80 million residents from 29 million households.