The National Housing and Urban Regeneration Center (HURC) has assisted more than 140,000 families with social housing since its launch in 2018. In a Friday press release, the HURC elaborated on the many difficulties in the early stages of implementing the rental and management program, but with the support of more than 7,000 landlords, it hopes to continue to provide everyone with suitable living spaces.
The HURC said that at the time of launch, it doubted that property owners would allow the government to control their rental units, with many landlords even mistaking their call personnel for fraud criminals. However, the program which adjusts property, land, and income tax, and offers management services did eventually begin to gain steam. 2018 to 2020 saw only 5,000 tenant-landlord matches, but numbers have grown to more than 7,000 matches in just one quarter. Currently, more than 84,000 families are being housed in these rental properties.
40% of housed families in Taiwan are economically or socially disadvantaged and use rent subsidies to reduce costs and improve their standard of living. The HURC pointed out that their program not only assists with the needs of tenants and reduces the management pressures of landlords, but also helps stabilize the rental market by promoting a balanced supply and demand. It also increases employment opportunities and, by providing housed families with more resources, boosts economic and social benefits for the whole of Taiwan.