Tougher punishments necessary to curb affordable housing profiteering

THE BEIJING COMMISSION OF HOUSING and Urban-Rural Development recently announced it will strengthen its efforts to curb the illegal activities that plague the capital's affordable housing programs. Beijing News comments:

Beijing is not alone in introducing such measures. Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, recently announced its decision to put 54 fresh college graduates on a social credit blacklist because they illegally rented their affordable housing apartments to others.

It is cheaper to rent an affordable housing unit compared with an ordinary apartment, as affordable housing apartments are meant for people on low incomes. Yet many apply for them and rent them to others as a way of making a profit.