Taiwan Ministry Opposes Affordable Housing Plan; KMT Accuses Central Government of Political Bias

Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-cheng's proposal for an "affordable housing" initiative has sparked a political clash with the Ministry of the Interior. The plan aims to allow newly married and child-rearing families to permanently reside in vacant properties in the Taoyuan Aerotropolis at 50-60% of market price.

However, the Ministry of the Interior has rejected the initiative, insisting that social housing should be strictly "rental-only" and warning of potential speculation and property rights disputes. This stance has drawn sharp criticism from the Kuomintang (KMT) caucus.

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The Ministry of the Interior, have you even read the ordinance clearly? Taoyuan's affordable housing is clearly written on paper: closed market, use of trust to obtain residency, de-commodification; resale at original price, not for market speculation; government guaranteed buy-back, eliminating speculative space.

The KMT caucus accused the ministry of misinterpreting the ordinance and imposing political prejudice. They highlighted that Chang's proposal includes a "closed market" system, a "resale at original price" clause, and a "government buy-back guarantee" to prevent speculation. The party argued that these mechanisms effectively address concerns about resale and speculative disputes.

"The Ministry of the Interior, have you even read the ordinance clearly?" the KMT caucus questioned in a statement. They asserted that the proposal is not about free resale and therefore should not raise concerns about property rights or speculation. The party urged the central government to approve the ordinance, accusing them of obstructing young people's dreams of homeownership due to political bias against a KMT-led city government.

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Are young people not worthy of having a home in Taiwan?