Residents of an old community near the Bund in Huangpu District of Shanghai who were moved out for major renovation work, will be back into their old houses just in time for the Spring Festival early next year.
Authorities said major repair works have been completed, living conditions improved and illegally built structures demolished — all on government expenses.
About 287 households from Jukui Community were moved out in March to rented apartments — a first for the city — with subsidies from the district government.
Jiang Huayun, who was overseeing the renovation work, said they had demolished over 400 illegal structures, including 66 dangerous "arcade houses" which were supported by steel pillars. They were built by residents desperate for extra space and better living conditions.
The 10 brick and wooden buildings, which were built in the early 1960s, were in dangerous shape. They have been refitted with new roof and concrete foundations.
"The original structures have been stabilized with newly fitted steel bars to ensure they can last for another century," Jiang said.
The renovation included adding separate bathrooms and kitchens.
"The original appearance of the traditional Shanghai residential community has been kept," Jiang said.
Some minor renovation still needed to be carried out, and decoration work will be completed by January. Residents will be moved back before the Spring Festival that falls on January 28 next year.
"I never dreamed that a shabby house I once lived could be so beautiful now," said Jiang Yuying, an 80-year-old resident who had an early look at her old house.
Jiang Yuying, who has lived in the community for decades, said illegal structures began mushrooming in the 1980s when shared kitchens and bathrooms and small bedrooms made it difficult for families to live there.
In the "heydays," over 85 percent of the houses had illegal structures, said Zhou Cheng, the head of the Xiaodongmen Subdistrict of Huangpu.
In some instances, three-storied structures were converted into six floors illegally.
"Many of the residents were forced to build the additional structures to accommodate a growing family. This renovation is intended to solve that problem," Zhou said.
The government persuaded the residents to move out temporarily and gave them 3,500 yuan ($525) per month as rent subsidies.
Usually, the government carries out renovation of old residential blocks without moving tenants. But after this experiment the district government said moving them out worked out better.
Huangpu has over 208,000 square meters of such old residential buildings.
