High demand for new social housing in southern Taiwan drives surrounding property prices

Taiwan's southern cities, Tainan and Kaohsiung, have seen enthusiastic response to their latest social housing projects, with a total of 2,343 applications received for units in the second quarter.

The National Housing and Urban Renewal Center announced that the public lottery for these units is scheduled for September 17. Successful applicants can expect to move in as early as December 1. This quarter's offerings include the "Fushan Anju" project in Kaohsiung's Zuoying district, which received 1,420 applications for its 220 units, and the "Xinshi Anju" project in Tainan, which had 402 applications for its 670 units.

Following the qualification review, the center will notify applicants of the results and proceed with the lottery. Selected residents will then undergo viewing, selection, contract signing, and handover processes. The center emphasizes its commitment to maintaining consistent construction quality and management standards across all its social housing projects nationwide, aiming to create environments that balance living quality with convenient amenities.

Market research indicates that in Tainan's Xinshi district, pre-sale apartment prices have surpassed 400,000 New Taiwan dollars per ping, partly due to demand from tech engineers preferring to rent in the area. This has driven monthly rents for newer two-bedroom units to between NT$18,000 and NT$21,000. Similarly, in Kaohsiung's Zuoying high-speed rail area, prices for new luxury apartments are exceeding 500,000 NT dollars per ping, with some high-floor units reaching 600,000 NT dollars, contributing to the oversubscription of the "Fushan Anju" project.