A coalition of more than 70 civic groups under the banner of the Housing Movement (巢運) protested in front of the Presidential Office yesterday, demanding comprehensive reforms on housing policy.
The activists invited President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to their planned large “sleepout” to protest against unaffordable housing prices scheduled for Saturday next week in front of The Palace (帝寶) luxury residential complex.
The sleepout aims to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the landmark Snails Without Shells movement for affordable housing, the groups said, referring to a sleepout involving more than 50,000 people on Aug. 26, 1989, in which protesters camped out overnight on Zhongxiao E Road — one of the most expensive areas of Taipei.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Taiwan Adequate Housing Association president Huang Yi-chung (黃益中) yesterday said that since Ma attended the Snails Without Shells 10th anniversary event in 1999, it would only be fitting for him to show his support again.
Activists raised large photographs of Ma, then the mayor of Taipei, supporting the movement 15 years ago.
Huang said the average price for an apartment in Taipei has tripled over the past 15 years, while wages have remained stagnant.
“We are still strongly against sky-high property prices, but this time, our demands have become more specific and address formal legislation for social housing, along with the protection of housing rights from forced demolitions,” Huang added.
An unnamed public relations official from the President’s Office later took the invitation, without comment.
Huang vehemently criticized the Ma administration’s proposals on social housing and property tax reform, calling initiatives by Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) and Minister of Finance Chang Sheng-ford (張盛和) “shameless” and “laughable.”
“Jiang speaks of government plans to increase the amount of social housing to 34,000 units within a decade, claiming that it is a fivefold increase. However, that is merely growth from 0.08 percent to 0.4 percent of housing nationwide,” Huang said, adding that the international standard for social housing is 5 percent.
Huang lambasted Chang for his proposal for tax exemptions for property transactions under NT$30 million (US$992,200).
“More than 95 percent of real-estate transactions conducted in Taiwan are under NT$30 million,” Huang said.
Organization of Urban Re-s secretary-general Peng Yang-Kai (彭揚凱) said the activists expect replies from all candidates running in the Nov. 29 municipal elections.
“On the night of Oct. 4, we will announce the candidates’ replies to the demands of the Housing Movement,” he said.
Peng said many of the candidates own a lot of real estate.
“While there is nothing wrong in itself with owning a lot of property, the question is whether they are willing to clamp down on opportunist investment through tax reforms,” Peng said.
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