Avoid Getting Evicted in the Latest Round of Housing Demolitions

This summer’s Great Brickening has hit home – or, more precisely, homes. The tragic fire in Daxing last weekend seems to have accelerated the Beijing municipal government's plans to demolish structures deemed unsafe, a move widely seen as an attempt to force large numbers of migrant workers and other undesirables from the city center.

The forced eviction of some of Beijing’s most vulnerable residents has sparked a backlash with even Chinese state media offering (albeit tepid) criticism of the city’s handling of this latest round of “urban renewal.”

But it’s not just Beijing’s poor and migrant communities which are being affected. Many international residents are feeling the pinch as well. Writer and historian James Palmer reported earlier this week on Twitter that he was being evicted from his hutong home in Xicheng.

This is the second time in a year for Palmer and his wife. This past May, he wrote about the demolition of their hutong in a piece which included a Kafka-esque go-round with the landlord and city officials over the removal of his front door.

In many ways, the current round of hutong evictions is also a continuation of last spring, when a campaign against illegal sublets forced many people living in hutong dwellings to find new accommodations.

What can international residents do to protect themselves from the inconvenience of a sudden and unplanned move?

1. Where you live matters. Areas which are zoned for residential buildings, which includes most of the apartment buildings in Chaoyang and in the major complexes (like Guanshu Yuan or Haiyun Cang) in Dongcheng, are not going to be affected.
   

2. The type of structure matters. Once again, if you live in an apartment (and not, say, the basement of the apartment building), then you’re likely safe. There are some old-style “xiaoqu” which are being demolished around town, most notably in Haidian, but you’re probably not living in one of those. Even if you live in a hutong, the latest guidelines specifically focus on structures which have been “illegally renovated.” But at particular risk are structures which have been refurbished as rental units. Add-ons like terraces and second floors seem to be easy targets.
   

3. If you’re in a space that seems like it might be a candidate for demolition or “renovation,” then call your landlord. You may have a great relationship with your landlord or you may consider them a sadistic, greedy monster. Either way, give them a call. They will likely – although not always – have some inside information on the future of their property. If you’re about to sign a lease on a place in the hutongs, get a provision in writing that protects your interests even if the structure is marked for removal or for significant changes such as the removal of exterior doors, the bathroom, or an upper story.
   

4. Make friends with your neighbors. One of the best parts of living in the hutongs are the people you meet. Time to invite a few of the aunties and uncles over for some tea, biscuits, and the neighborhood scuttlebutt. Once again, the local residents are going to be plugged into the information mill in ways most expats can only dream of. Some of it will be rumor and hearsay, but it’s good to know what the folks are saying. If you happen to know who is the head of your local neighborhood committee (a good person to know in any season), now would be a time to rekindle that connection. They may not be saying much, but they’ll often have the inside scoop on changes coming to the area.
   

5. If you live in a higher-risk area or if you’ve heard a few things from the neighbors that suggest the urban managements squad is coming, be sure to make a contingency plan – especially around the holidays. If you’re going away for a few weeks, give your keys and a plan to a neighbor or friend in case the demolition notice is posted while you are away. You’re going to want to have somebody to help move and store your things before the sledgehammers come out.
   

This is not to scare anybody. There are still many people living in the hutongs without any problems, but it’s clear that the city has major plans for the urban core, especially the hutong neighborhoods. It’s always a good idea for folks living there or planning on living there in the future to have a plan and stay aware of any potential plans which could affect your home.

Finally, as hard as it is for most of us to be evicted on short notice, it’s worth remembering the thousands of people – many of whom are essential to our city for the services they provide – who are being evicted with nowhere to go. While their plight has moved many in the community to offer help and assistance to the displaced, it’s cold out there and what’s happening to Beijing’s migrant population is a travesty and tragedy.

As one user replying to the original feed on Twitter lamented:

Photos: James Palmer (Twitter), John Beck (Twitter), Luo Qinghan (Twitter), Observer.com

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