Taiwan expands social housing with 1,500 new units amid criticism over policy cuts

The National Housing and Urban Development Center announced that 1,500 new central social housing units will be offered for rent in New Taipei, Nantou, Tainan and Kaohsiung. Applications open from 14 August to 14 September 2026, with a lottery on 16 December and the earliest move‑in date of 1 March 2027. At least 20 % of the units (300) are reserved for married or child‑rearing families, with lease terms up to six years, or up to twelve years for households with pre‑school children.

Civil society groups have criticised a recent revision of the “Million‑Household Rental Support Plan,” which reduced the target for newly built social housing from 130,000 units to 30,000 and cut the associated budget by about 60 %. The groups demand a national housing policy forum, warning that relying solely on rent subsidies and management contracts could leave many families without homes. Interior Minister Liu Shih‑fang said the policy will be adjusted dynamically to match demographic and employment trends, and that direct construction of social housing continues with over 40,000 units already completed and another 80,000 under construction.