Residents in Shanghai fund own building renovation

An obstacle was that government authorities could not provide funding due to the high-rise building's history, as the apartments were sold to those from outside the Chinese mainland in the first days. The residents had to come together to fund the much-needed renovation on their own.

For cost control, their first attempt in 2021 was to temporarily extend a steel wire mesh from the second floor. However, third-party evaluations later showed that the equipment was not strong enough to stop falling tiles.

At the building's property management office, maintenance worker Liu Shouliang filled a cardboard box with fallen tiles. On each of them, he recorded the date they fell and where from. There were tiles falling from both the lower and higher floors.

Some were quite fragmented, and others were as big as a laptop, he said.

"Several pieces of tiles smashed into the cars parked downstairs," he said, recalling that one tile, according to the video surveillance, hit a drying rack while falling and cracked the sunroof of a car. The drying rack also fell and pierced the driver's window and seat.

"It was startling. That happened not long after the owner of the car had gotten out. If there was someone in or around the vehicle at that time, it could have been an irreparable tragedy," he added.

In the WeChat group, safety hazards from falling tiles were one of the most frequently discussed topics among the residents. The initiative to carry out the renovation with collective funding from the residents gradually took shape.

Liu Guanglei was one of the residents who volunteered to lead the innovation project. He said that he hoped to eliminate safety hazards as he and four other family members, including his elderly mother and two children, live in the building.

"Having lived here for nearly a decade also gave me a sense of belonging. I want to do some real things for the neighbors," said resident Liu.

The renovation began in the latter half of 2022. A professional team from a State-owned company in the construction design sector was invited to the apartment complex to introduce its renovation plan, including the detailed methods and processes of the face-lift. However, the 3-million-yuan quote for the project, had some residents concerned about the cost.

Most of the around 10 residents who expressed opposition were seniors. Their common view was to save money, said Bao Li, secretary of the Party branch of the residential community where the building is located.

She said that some elderly residents suggested just fixing the places where safety hazards were found. But others disagreed, saying it would cause color variation on the facade and would not stand the test of time.