 Professor Qin Hui from the prestigious Tshinghua University suggested that the Shenzhen government take the initiative to build districts for the poor in order to provide legal and affordable housings for migrant workers and the impoverished. Professor Qin said this will not be a shame for the city, but a show of concern for the poor. We turn to the media for various of opinions around this.
An article in Dahe Daily reports that the United Nations defines slums as districts that lack enough access to drinking water, sanitation facilities, sufficient living spaces or the stability of housing. The fact is there are slums in China, but the Chinese government does not want to admit it. It's partly because urbanization is still in its early stage in China, the problem is not that obvious, and the government wants to prevent it from happening. However, the author says if the existence of such district will benefit the poor, he'd rather to have it.
Dazhong Daily carries an article pointing out that migrant workers are part of the society and they make great contributions to the society. They should be taken care of just as other social members. The article also stresses that the poor will not be confined in slum areas and will have their freedom and rights protected. However, regarding the location of the slums, if they are remote from the city center, the extra cost of time and for transportation will increase of cost of living for the poor. Thus, there are still lots of details to be worked out before implementation.
Another article in Dahe Daily focuses on the potential psychological effects for the poor and their children. Will the slum households become marginalized? Will it make it harder for the poor to merge into the mainstream of the society? In some foreign countries, children from slum areas are often excluded in schools. Will that happen in China too?
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