Chapter 252: Ha Gong Da commercial housing—best welfare!

Qin Miao felt quite at ease; the benefits of the era's development had already been secured for the staff of Ha Gong Da—now it was just a matter of whether everyone could seize the opportunity.

In later times there's a saying that goes very clearly: stand on the windfall, even a pig can fly!

The real-estate dividend meant many could profit; take later times as an example: buy a unit in 05, sell in 08, buy again in 15, sell in 19—you'd make big money; other ways exist, like selling your property in 2019 and buying it back in 2025, leaving a large sum in hand.

In 1980, the first year of the Eastern commercial housing reform, for many people buying a house was unimaginable—if the unit could assign housing, why would anyone need to buy?

Housing assigned by the unit only gave occupancy rights, not ownership; to turn a unit house into a private household in later times, one still had to pay the unit a sum—although cheaper than commercial housing, it still cost money.

The commercial housing reform was also a historical inevitability.

In 1949, per capita living space was 4.5 square meters; by 1978 it had fallen to 3.6 square meters, and moreover there were over ten million educated youths sent to the countryside; these people flooding into cities made housing even more impossible.

What to do?

Keep building houses and allocating them?

Who knows how many problems would arise around housing allocation! Moreover, there simply wasn't any money for it!

In the thirty years before the Eleventh Central Committee's Third Plenum, domestic cumulative investment in housing totaled only 37.4 billion yuan, with per‑annum per‑capita housing investment under ten yuan; the state simply could not solve the housing problem, so it had to turn to the market.

The commercial housing system itself is not at fault; the fault lies in the greed of countless people surrounding its profit chain and the lack of supervision, causing many home‑buyers to lose everything.

In later times, these issues are being addressed—for example, houses can be sold only after meeting delivery conditions, and when developers receive payment, owners can obtain their property certificates at the same time.

These problems are beyond Qin Miao's ability to solve, and he doesn't care about them; he merely wants to secure welfare for the staff of Ha Gong Da.

Whoever wants a house should buy it with money; if they have none, they can first owe the school and repay later.

Now four or five thousand yuan feels like a huge sum, but will it still be money a few years from now?

It's inflation!

In the late 1980s, prices surged; commodity prices shot up! In January 1987 the CPI broke 5%, by January 1988 it had reached 9.4%, and in February, due to the New Year, it soared to 28.4%.

In 1980 the average monthly wage was 40 yuan; by 1989 it was 175 yuan! By then the staff of Ha Gong Da could expect a monthly wage of about 500 yuan—how much would a 4,500‑yuan house plus interest actually cost?

He said twenty years—if it reached 1999, what would the average person's monthly wage be then?

In later times, countless people lament that back when house prices were only a few hundred they didn't get on board, and now they can't afford to buy! Everyone thinks of using their wages from twenty years hence to purchase a house from twenty years ago.

Now, Qin Miao is providing this opportunity!

Ha Gong Da's development is rapid, and it wouldn't mind this little money; even if it remained welfare housing as before, countless shameless people would jump out—staff might still have principles, but their families might not.

With this sum as a threshold, those who already have a home would likely give it up; as for those without, it depends on their courage.

Thinking this through, Qin Miao looked around.

Most of the onlookers were fixated on the houses; at this moment their expressions were complex.

"I say, what's Qin Miao's motive? Allocating housing to workers is a great thing—why does it have to cost money?"

"Exactly, young staff members are precisely when they need money, yet they'd have to take on loans and repay them for twenty years!"

"You guys say, will someone throw rotten eggs at him later?"

"I think this plan is not bad; if we switch from welfare housing to commercial housing, I'd be willing to buy!" At that moment a voice rang out.

"Brothers in arms, fathers and sons on the battlefield!" Qin Miao looked at the person approaching—turns out it was… his brother‑in‑law Li Sheng!

If it were Zhang Honghong, born into a leadership family, exposed to such matters from childhood, with a broader vision and longer‑term perspective, knowing this is a trend she would certainly stand up—but as for myself and my brother‑in‑law…

His father‑in‑law didn't think highly of Li Sheng, seeing him as a dull gourd who only knew teaching and scientific research and nothing else; yet this time he was the first to step forward! Hmm, when he goes back for the New Year he'll surely praise him a few words to his father‑in‑law.

"Professor Li, what are your thoughts?" President Liu asked.

If you say you have no money but your wife does and can afford it, then…

"Honghong married me, living in the single‑staff dormitory, she endured many grievances; I want her to have a good house and a good life! This new building has gone up, and many people have taken a liking to it—I only resent that my rank isn't high enough, my nerve isn't thick enough, I can't compete with them; now that we have to pay to buy, it's easy to say: I, Li Sheng, will save this sum even if I eat and drink nothing!"

Li Sheng gazed at the new building: "I, Li Sheng, want Honghong to live well! This was already in my mind when I married her!"

At this moment Qin Miao was moved; people of this era are reserved—they don't openly declare love, but they definitely show it in concrete actions.

"President Liu, I'd also like to buy!" Another young teacher stepped forward: "I'm not married yet, but I don't want my fiancée to suffer with me—I'll sell my pots and scrap iron to live in this new house!"

In the school, those with seniority—or their family members—were all staring at the brand‑new building, awaiting allocation, their hearts filled with anxiety.

The houses certainly exist, but this brand‑new housing, which was clearly promised for us to live in, has been snatched away by others, leaving us feeling unbalanced!

Yet the system says it's acceptable—after all, in Ha Cheng many units' new buildings go to those with seniority!

Now, if money can settle it, let's buy with money! The house will then be ours forever—we can live there a lifetime! We won't just settle for steamed buns—we'll strive for dignity!

Seeing more and more people step forward, President Liu hesitated no longer; now that everyone agrees on this allocation scheme, let's do it! Any old-timer who dares to jump out and fight for housing—sorry, you'll have to pay! The school will reclaim the old houses you now occupy; for the new ones you must pay to buy.

This contradiction is settled—Old Wang, in charge of logistics, whose hair had turned white from worrying over housing allocation, now needs no worry; just follow this method!