Most people in the community knew one another. When taking a walk after supper, you would bump into various neighbors and stop to chat with each one. There was practically no privacy; all household matters were common knowledge among neighbors and colleagues. During the first years of China’s reform and opening, some people who had been living in work-allocated accommodation Work-allocated housing was an accepted form in the early years of New China. Most people in the community knew one another. When taking a walk after supper, you would bump into various neighbors and stop to chat with each one. There was practically no privacy; all household matters were common knowledge among neighbors and colleagues. During the first years of China’s reform and opening, some people who had been living in work-allocated accommodation for decades quit their jobs and went to work for Sino-foreign joint venture companies. One of the motivations for changing the job was the higher salary that would enable them to buy a better apartment.
Rapid economic development and growing demand for commodity houses ushered developers into the housing market. They, along with government officials, have since explored ways of meeting housing needs based on levels of consumption. To most urbanites, buying a house is the means to a comfortable life, rather than a solution to basic needs.