The Horrible Truth About Beijing's New Homeless

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A main thoroughfare in Beijing after the devastating rains

The recent devastating floodwaters that hit China’s capital ten days ago may have receded, but thousands of residents who dwell in Beijing’s basement tenements–many migrant workers with few other options in the expensive capital–have been left homeless, their subterranean flats flooded. And it appears that authorities, as well as many netizens, couldn’t seem to care less.

@舒泰峰 tweets from the capital via Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter: “In the housing complex where I live, inside the Guangqu Gate [a relic of walled, imperial Beijing], inside Beijing’s Second Ring Road. The floods have immersed the basements, forcing hundreds of people to live in an open square. Reporters from Xinhua [China's official news agency] have donated a few tents and lots of people are just sleeping on the ground, in the rain. Eating bread with cold water. They joke that they can’t be called migrants anymore, more like refugees. They hope to find shelter but the housing complex’s management says the basement can’t be lived in again. They ask for a bit of compensation, but the authorities don’t respond. Can anyone provide legal aid? For Beijing’s millions of basement dwellers, winter has come early.” {{1}}[[1]]广渠门内本家润园小区，北京二环内，洪水淹没地下室，上百人露宿广场，新华社记者捐了几顶帐篷，还有很多人冒雨睡地上，吃面包就凉水。他们自潮北漂都不是，是＂北光＂。他们希望能够解决住宿，物业说地下室不可能再住。希望得到一点补偿，无部门理会。求法律援助。北京百万地下住户的冬天降临。[[1]]

@凱西的零碎儿 reports from Chaoyang District in Beijing, where many expats pitch their tents: ”It’s not just around Guangqu Gate, it’s the same situation with the basement at my housing complex.” {{2}}[[2]]不只广渠门 我家小区地下室也是同样的景象[[2]]

@舒泰峰 explains the economics of basement-dwelling in Beijing: “Beijing’s basements have become an economic ecosystem. Building management rents to the landlords who in turn rent to tenants; sometimes the rental chain [from owner to tenant] goes through several people. For workers who only make one or two thousand RMB [about US$160-320] a month, basements are the ideal residence. One month’s rent only costs about three to five hundred RMB [about US$50-80].”  {{3}}[[3]]北京的地下室已形成经济链，物业租给房东，房东租给散户，有的倒了好几手。对于挣一两千块的打工者来说，地下室已是最理想的住处，一个月租金只需三五百块[[3]]

For those living in basement homes, the recent rains were especially ruinous

The issue is further complicated by the fact that the authorities have tried to clean up basement tenements, many of which are located in space originally designated for storage or, during the Cold War, for bomb shelters. Enforcement has been haphazard, with some tenants being evicted periodically but most allowed to stay for the time being. Migrant workers make up the bulk of basement-dwellers as they lack the coveted Beijing “hukou,” or residency permit, that would give them access to low-income housing and other benefits. 

Unsympathetic locals

Not everyone was willing to extend a helping hand to the migrant workers, and many locals believe the migrant workers should simply go home. @苓燕 tweets, “Staying in Beijing with no food and no shelter, why not go back home. At least they won’t sleep on the street, I don’t understand.” {{4}}[[4]]在北京混的没吃没住，干嘛不回老家去，至少不会像现在一样沦落街头，真是想不通啊……[[4]]@诺小爷 thinks the flooded-out tenants only have themselves to blame: “Beijing doesn’t permit renting out basements or leasing apartments out to large groups of people. They chose to do this; who else can they blame? {{5}}[[5]]北京市现在不允许群租和租住地下室 自己乐意 赖谁 [[5]]

Many locals also complain that rudimentary, densely-populated basement tenements in apartment buildings not meant to have them pose safety and sanitary risks. @hammer5045, for one, is happy about the basement tenants being driven out by the floods, “From the selfish point of view of apartment owners like ourselves, this flood really helped us out.” {{6}}[[6]]从我们业主私利角度看，这次大水可能帮了忙[[6]]

@兰色头发 tweets, “Not every local has an apartment either; many lower class families crowd into a single room. Living in basements creates a big safety risk and really inconveniences the local residents. Leasing out basements have long been banned, so there is no possibility of legal assistance. I’m sympathetic to the migrants but I would persuade them to leave Beijing; many second-tier cities have opportunities too.”  {{7}}[[7]]北京人也不是每个人都有住房的，也有很多底层一大家子挤一间屋的！地下室本身就有很大安全隐患，并且还非常的扰民，早就禁止出租住人，所以不可能有什么法律援助，虽然也同情那些北漂，但是奉劝他们还是离开北京，很多二线城市也是有机会的！[[7]]@暹罗XIAOMI agrees, “If you choose to come here you have to tolerate the conditions. That’s life.” {{8}}[[8]]对，既然来了就得忍。这就是生活。[[8]]

Fed up with an uncaring capital

Some fed up netizens fired back at local Beijingers. @一只小熊猫君: “If people have to leave the city simply because they cannot afford to rent proper housing like you say, then Beijing is really not a tolerant city. It’s rich but has no morals. Its drainage system is terrible, and a section of Subway Line 6 collapsed. The air is horrendous and there are traffic jams everyday. Beijing men are so lazy; they only know how to eat and how to play. No Beijinger with an apartment and a car would want to be a street sweeper.” {{9}}[[9]]要按你说的 房子租不起就走人 那北京可真不是一个包容的城市 不仅为富不仁 没有公德心 排外 而且下水道都那么差劲 6号线还塌方 空气那么差 天天堵车 北京爷那么懒 就知道玩就知道吃 地道有房子有车的北京人又愿意做清洁工的？[[9]]

Others highlighted the concentration of resources and jobs in Beijing. @Ray寿 tweets, “It’s not that outsiders are jealous [of locals], it’s just there is no equal opportunity. You will understand when 10,000 people fight for 100 jobs in your hometown.” {{10}}[[10]]并不是羡慕嫉妒，大家机会均等么。啥时候你家乡100各工作1万人抢的时候你就理解了[[10]]

Some Beijingers are more sympathetic to the migrants’ plight. @一只小熊猫君 tweets, “Not everyone can afford to pay RMB4,000 in rent [about US$600] every month. Those migrants laborers work at the lowest tier jobs in society and cannot even make 4,000 in a month. But these people’s jobs make the city function. If you get your way and drive them out of the city, then Beijing needs to hire cleaning people with high salaries.” {{11}}[[11]]又不是每个人都租的起4000一个月的房子 那些外地来打工的 从事社会底层工作的人 他们一个月工作也挣不到4000 而这些做着苦活累活的人 保证了城市正常的运转 按你的意思 把他们都赶走 那北京恐怕真要高薪聘清洁工了[[11]]

@人非上品 agrees, tweeting: “You [migrants] do the lowest tier jobs and receive nothing but scorn and indifference. But you helped make this city’s development possible.” {{12}}[[12]]你们做着最底层的工作，受尽冷落和嘲讽，却促成了一个城市的发展…[[12]]

At least one migrant has decided he’s had enough of the scorn and indifference. @诚实的duzhe3a writes, “Goodbye, Beijing! Beijing completely controls all aspects of poor outsiders’ lives; we don’t need your dreams!” 

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