Shanghai to buy second-hand homes for rental housing in pilot to support property market

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Zhu WenqianFebruary 3, 2026 at 07:45 AM

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Shanghai has launched a pilot program to purchase existing second-hand homes for use as public rental housing, aiming to stabilize the property market and address rental demand from young residents. The initiative, backed by China Construction Bank, began Monday in the downtown districts of Pudong, Jing’an, and Xuhui, coinciding with the city's annual "two sessions" meetings. The program prioritizes homes in prime locations with clear property rights and smaller layouts, targeting motivated sellers. Officials hope the move will improve housing affordability, increase market liquidity, and reduce waiting times for public rental housing. Analysts suggest these targeted, city-level measures are crucial for supporting housing sales volumes in the absence of broader national stimulus.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

HSBC 40% Michelle Kwok 50% China Construction Bank 60% Jing'an 70% Pudong 70% Xuhui 70% Shanghai ×390%

Keywords

property market 100% rental housing 90% second-hand homes 80% shanghai 70% housing affordability 60% market liquidity 60% stimulus measures 50% pilot program 50% housing sales 40%