Taiwan government accused of slashing social housing pledges by 77%

Taiwanese civil groups are sharply criticizing the current administration's social housing policy, alleging a significant betrayal of election promises. The Social Housing Promotion Alliance, OURs Urban Renewal Organization, and other groups held a press conference to denounce the revised "Million Household Rental Support Plan (2025-2032)." They claim the target for directly built social housing units has been drastically reduced from a pre-election promise of 130,000 to just 30,000 over eight years, a cut of 77%.

These groups accuse the government of "trampling on election pledges and abandoning institutional routes." They point out that the 30,000-unit target includes 25,000 units planned under the previous administration, leaving only about 1,000 new units annually from 2028 onwards under the current government. Furthermore, the plan allows for rental subsidies and master leasing programs to substitute for directly built units, raising concerns about the actual delivery of social housing.

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The central government's reduction in construction targets will also place greater financial pressure on local governments.

The civil organizations also highlighted the shift in financial support. The previous administration had established a "non-self-repaying subsidy" mechanism to support local governments in building social housing. However, the new plan states that projects tendered and awarded from 2028 onwards will not receive this subsidy. This change is expected to place a greater financial burden on local governments, especially since their own commitments for social housing construction already exceed the new national target.

In response, the Ministry of the Interior's Land Administration Agency stated that the government's commitment to social housing remains unchanged. They cited current figures showing over 126,000 social housing units directly built and over 1.16 million households receiving rental subsidies or master leasing support. The agency also mentioned upcoming legislative amendments that could encourage private developers to donate social housing units through zoning incentives.

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The government's overall social housing plan has not changed and continues to expand housing support through direct construction, master leasing, and rental subsidies.