Tenure choice in China’s medium-sized cities after hukou reform: a case study of rural–urban migrants’ housing careers in Yangzhou

Based on a survey conducted after the reform of the residential registration system (hukou in Chinese), this paper explores housing tenure change among China’s rural–urban migrants in a medium-size city. It emphasizes the long-term effect of their initial hukou status which encapsulates the conditions in their place of origin and the social capital these represent. Our study presents two major findings: One, the initial housing tenures of rural migrants differ because their tenure choice reflects their socio-demographic characteristics and their migration record; the latter expresses their moving history as well as their short- and long-term objectives. Two, the current tenure choice of rural migrants is path-dependent—once they choose the initial tenure, they will be more (or less) likely to choose a specific subsequent one, leading ultimately to the current tenure. The national reform of the hukou system is fundamental to the understanding of their housing careers. This reform made it possible to change the hukou obtained at birth to a local one, giving the migrant access to a wide range of facilities and social services. Homeownership became the usual key to unlock these benefits. Migrants who intend to settle permanently at their destination may therefore be expected to purchase a dwelling later in their housing career. Adopting a housing policy that sets migrants on the path to homeownership, allows a city to bind desirable migrants. That path appears to be conditioned by the early steps in the migration experience. Therefore, the local housing policy should be concerned with accommodating the housing needs of newly arriving migrants.