Premier Su Tseng-chang on Thurday received a Ministry of the Interior briefing on the progress of the government's social housing policy. The first-stage goal of 40,000 social housing units was reached at the end of 2020, while the second-stage goal will be to add 80,000 more units from 2021 through 2024. The premier hopes to see greater participation from the private sector so as to expedite overall implementation of the social housing policy and satisfy housing demands for those in need.
Providing social housing is the responsibility of the government, the premier said. It not only allows people to live and work in peace, but also satisfies young people's needs for housing, and helps fight the problem of declining birth rates in Taiwan.
As for the subleased or managed home rental scheme, the number of households matched to social housing units have grown substantially in 2021 after several years of market adaptation. In the first phase, it took three years to match more than 5,100 households. In the second phase, which began in 2019, efforts expanded from the six special municipalities to a collaboration between local governments and the National Housing Urban and Regeneration Center, matching nearly 14,000 units or a threefold increase in just two-and-a-half years. For the third phase, which just began, the cumulative number of homes matched so far has already reached nearly 21,000 units, pushing progress forward significantly.
Premier Su thanked the Legislature for greenlighting amendments to the Housing Act in June to support expansion of the subleased or managed home rental scheme. The revision raised the tax exemptions on rental income from this scheme, and stipulates rental contracts shall not be used to trace the landlord's taxable income. The subleased or managed rental scheme has also been coupled with existing rental subsidies, ensuring both landlords and tenants are able to choose the incentive most beneficial to them.