AS part of the city’s ongoing comprehensive effort to reform its residential policies and improve services for migrant workers, non-Shenzhen hukou residents will soon enjoy broader, more inclusive social benefits, including access to the city’s public rental housing program, Shenzhen Evening News reported.

    To that end the city is currently soliciting citizen suggestions for possible provisions to be incorporated into a draft regulation pertaining to residence permits.

    “The greatest change presented by the new regulation is distinguishing between residence registration and the residence permit. The residence permit will serve as a service certificate,” said Liu Shuguang, vice director of the Internal and Judicial Affairs Committee of the Standing Committee of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Congress.

    Liu explained that one must meet three requirements to qualify for a residence permit. Those are: Having held a legitimate job in the city for at least 12 months; having held a stable legitimate residence (rental housing applicable) with 12 months residence registration; and having paid 12 months of social security in Shenzhen.

    Under the draft regulation, the residence permit will bring broader public services, including education, medical care, social security, employment training and applying for travel permits to Hong Kong and Macao. More benefits are anticipated for those who have held their residence permits for more years. Benefits for the latter may include qualifying for subsidized housing, children’s medical insurance and parents’ retirement nursing service.

    Shenzhen took the lead in China in the implementation of a residency permit system by evolving the temporary residence to the residence permit. The idea was to tangibly provide for migrants. However, the system was faulted for not pragmatically dismantling the household registration barrier.

    More than 10 million migrant workers reside in Shenzhen. Many are discriminatively treated, as compared to permanent residents who hold Shenzhen household registration, or hukou. This is typically respective certain benefits, such as social security insurance, medical service and their children’s school admission.

    Thirty-three-year-old Shenzhen resident Xiao Hong is one of these people. Xiao purchased a home in Futian District in 2008 and her daughter is now studying at a nearby primary school. Her residence permit enabled Xiao to receive benefits of a Shenzhen resident, but she hoped equal benefits would be more easily accessible, as in the case of other permanent residents.

    Xiao’s wish was echoed by many people who would like to see changes in the residence policy.

    Chen Weidong, a migrant worker from Meixian County in Guangdong Province, who recently was granted Shenzhen hukou, said his residence permit was very useful in helping him obtain permanent residency. Chen faithfully paid his social security in association with his residence permit account since 2008. That allowed him six extra points to qualify for local hukou.

    Chen said his wife will become a permanent Shenzhen resident three years later, according to government policy. (Zhao Jie)