Parking lots for affordable housing under debate

Parking lots for new affordable housing estates in the Guangdong provincial capital have sparked controversy, People's Daily reported Thursday.

For every 200 square meters of affordable apartments there must be at least one parking lot, according to the design guidelines.

But Cao Zhiwei, a member of Guangzhou Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said he opposed allocating the parking lots.

"Those who own a car should not be qualified to live in affordable housing estates," Cao said.

Sima Chunqiu, another local CPPCC member, said that the city's affordable housing should provide only basic accommodation to low-income families.

But Zhang Nanning, a deputy of the Guangzhou People's Congress, said parking lots should be constructed in affordable housing estates as everyone has a right to own a car, and owning one does not necessarily indicate wealth.

"We can not rule out the possibility that low-income families might purchase a cheap car," he said.