President Tsai Ing-wen said Aug. 2 that the government is leaving no stone unturned in expanding access to affordable, high-quality housing for all members of Taiwan society.
Everyone has the right to live in modern, safe and well-appointed homes situated close to public transport networks, Tsai said. This level of comfort and convenience is befitting an economically developed country like Taiwan, she added.
The president made the remarks while inaugurating the National Urban and Regeneration Center in Taipei City. Initially tasked with managing eight renewal projects, the center also oversees large-scale initiatives involving idle properties and vacant land.
Another objective for the center is coordinating with central government agencies such as the Ministry of National Defense and state-owned enterprises like Taiwan Sugar Corp. in auditing underutilized assets and devising appropriate development strategies meeting Taiwan’s demographic needs.
One of the initiatives is managing 2,500 units constructed as part of the athletes’ village for the 2017 Taipei Universiade. Located in Linkou District of New Taipei City, the repurposed accommodation is considered an international model of fiscally responsible social housing.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, all of the village’s structures hold Green Building Candidate Certificates in accordance with standards set down under the Ecology, Energy Saving, Waste Reduction and Health (EEWH) building evaluation system. In addition, they are classified as eco-friendly and intelligent per requirements for EEWH bronze accreditation.
Tsai said two other examples of the government’s commitment to achieving housing justice are revisions to the Housing and Rental Housing Market Development and Regulation acts. The former will see nearly 40,000 subsidized units built by year-end, while the latter is freeing up more properties for rental, she added.
At the same time, the president said, the central and local governments are working closely in fast-tracking safety assessments of older buildings given Taiwan’s susceptibility to earthquakes and typhoons.
Related measures include amendments to the Statute for Expediting Reconstruction of Urban Unsafe and Old Buildings promulgated in 2017, promoting building seismic evaluation and rehabilitation programs and prioritizing passage of revisions to the Urban Renewal Act in the upcoming session of the Legislative Yuan next month. (SFC-E)
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