Several local civic groups have joined together to call for housing rights in Taiwan. The groups have set up camp in front of one of Taipei’s most prestigious residential buildings, and are planning to stay there Saturday night.
The rally comes 25 years after the “snails without shells” movement of 1989, which called for affordable housing.
While rental prices are relatively inexpensive, the cost of purchasing an apartment in Taipei has become prohibitive for people who make an average working salary.
Police called on the protestors to maintain order in expressing their demands and to cooperate with the authorities in order to prevent conflicts from occurring.
The Housing Movement has five major requests. Those include, among others requests: incorporating housing rights into the constitution and an end to forced evictions; making changes to property taxes and an end to property speculation; and increasing public housing to 5% of the total housing in Taiwan.