Housing and occupational experiences of rural migrants living in public rental housing in Chongqing, China: job choice, housing location and mobility

Abstract

The city of Chongqing in southwestern China has recently adopted a massive public rental housing programme, which has attracted considerable attention due to its emphasis on the dominant role played by the government and the universal coverage. Yet, no current studies have investigated the housing and occupational experiences of rural migrants living in public rental housing, focusing on the effects of state involvement. The results of the semi-structured interviews with 120 rural migrants and eighteen government officials identified that rural migrants’ housing and occupational experiences were negatively affected by the municipality’s pursuit of land-based financing approaches, the exclusion of informality and the lag in the supply of public transport and discouragement of motorcycles. The findings provide insights into state-led urban housing projects and add a new dimension of understanding rural migrants’ occupational and housing experiences in rapid urbanisation in China and the global South.