The State Council announced the "Decision on Amending the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Provident Funds"

On August 10, 2026, Premier Li Qiang signed State Council Order No. 844, announcing the "Decision of the State Council on Amending the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Provident Funds" (hereinafter referred to as the "Decision"), which will come into effect on September 20, 2026. A few days ago, the heads of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development answered reporters' questions on issues related to the "Decision".

Q: Please briefly introduce the background of the “Decision”.

Answer: The housing provident fund system is an important part of my country's urban housing system and is related to the vital interests of the masses. The Party Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the management of housing provident funds. General Secretary Xi Jinping has issued important instructions on many occasions on deepening the reform of the housing provident fund system, striving to stabilize the real estate market, and accelerating the construction of a new model of real estate development. The Central Economic Work Conference and the "Government Work Report" made clear arrangements for deepening the reform of the housing provident fund system.

Since the "Housing Provident Fund Management Regulations" were implemented in 1999, they have played an important role in strengthening the management of housing provident funds, safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of depositors, promoting urban housing construction, and improving the living standards of urban residents. Currently, the operation of the housing provident fund system is facing a new situation. Especially with the development of my country's real estate market and changes in the employment structure, the people's housing demand has shifted from "have or have" to "is it good or not". Housing consumption scenarios have become increasingly diversified, which has put forward new requirements for the use and management of housing provident funds. The scale of flexible employment groups has grown rapidly, and the coverage of the housing provident fund system needs to be adjusted accordingly. The regulations no longer fully meet actual needs. It is necessary to revise and improve them with the times on the basis of summarizing practical experience, so as to provide a strong legal guarantee for accelerating the construction of a new model of real estate development and better meeting the people's needs for a better life.

Q: What is the overall idea of ​​"The Decision"?

Answer: The "Decision" mainly grasps the following three points in terms of overall thinking: First, it transforms the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council on deepening the reform of the housing provident fund system and the effective experiences and practices in practice into institutional norms. The second is to adhere to a problem orientation, focus on the people's main concerns about optimizing the housing provident fund management system, improve the system design, and enhance the pertinence and effectiveness of the modifications. The third is to persist in being proactive and prudent, improve the efficiency of use while ensuring the safety of housing provident fund funds, and better adapt to the real estate development situation and the diversified housing consumption needs of depositors.

Q: What are the major changes in the scope of housing provident fund withdrawals?

Answer: The scope of housing provident fund withdrawal is a common concern in all aspects. One of the key contents of the "Decision" is to broaden the scope of withdrawal and use of housing provident funds, including no longer setting a threshold limit for withdrawing housing provident funds to pay rent, with the rent exceeding the prescribed proportion of household salary income, and adding new situations such as renovating self-occupied housing and paying property fees for self-occupied housing, where housing provident funds can be withdrawn. On this issue, the "Decision" insists on being proactive, prudent, and comprehensive, closely focusing on the two core elements of housing consumption and depositors, and further includes the payment of rent, decoration fees, and property fees that are relatively common and urgent needs in practice into the scope of housing provident fund withdrawals, so as to better meet the diverse housing consumption needs of depositors. The "Decision" also adds a blanket provision of "other housing consumption situations approved by the State Council", leaving institutional space for further broadening the scope of housing provident fund withdrawals.

Q: What measures are taken to improve the efficiency of housing provident fund management services?

Answer: It is a common expectation of all parties to further improve the efficiency of housing provident fund management services. The "Decision" mainly clarifies measures in four aspects: First, simplify the procedures for employees to apply for withdrawing housing provident funds, eliminating the need for their units to verify and issue withdrawal certificates. The second is to shorten the review time for housing provident fund loan applications from 15 days to 10 days. The third is to require the housing and urban-rural development department of the State Council, the housing and urban-rural development department of the people's governments of provinces and autonomous regions, and the housing provident fund management center to strengthen digital and intelligent construction, achieve nationwide mutual trust and mutual recognition of housing provident fund payment and deposit records, and promote the convenient and efficient processing of housing provident fund transfers, off-site loans and other businesses. Fourth, it is clarified that the housing provident fund management center should urge units to fulfill their obligations such as housing provident fund payment registration and full payment on time, and clarify legal responsibilities for failure to urge units to perform their obligations.

Q: How to further strengthen the risk prevention and control of housing provident fund funds?

Answer: In order to further strengthen risk prevention and control, ensure the safety of housing provident fund funds, and prevent risks such as fraudulent withdrawals and loans, the "Decision" mainly clarifies measures in two aspects. The first is to strengthen credit constraints, stipulating that the housing and urban-rural development department of the State Council should determine public credit information in the field of housing provident funds, and the housing provident fund management center should establish comprehensive, complete and accurate credit records and incorporate them into the national credit information sharing platform. The second is to improve the penalty regulations and stipulate clear legal responsibilities for illegal withdrawals of housing provident funds and obtaining housing provident fund loans through fraud, forgery of certification materials and other means.

Question: How does the Decision expand the coverage of the housing provident fund system?

Answer: Expanding the coverage of the housing provident fund system to flexible employment groups is an important measure to adapt to changes in my country's employment structure and enhance the inclusiveness of the system. Taking into account the actual situation of flexible employment groups and the differences in regional development levels, the "Decision" adheres to two points on the issue of expanding the coverage of the housing provident fund system: First, respect the wishes of people with flexible employment, and do not implement coercion and "one size fits all". It stipulates that individual industrial and commercial households, part-time employees and other people with flexible employment can voluntarily contribute to the housing provident fund and enjoy corresponding policy support in accordance with regulations. The second is to authorize local people's governments at or above the city level to formulate specific measures, and at the same time clarify that relevant departments of the State Council such as the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development should strengthen guidance.

Q: What needs to be done to ensure the smooth implementation of the Decision?

Answer: In order to ensure the implementation of the "Decision", relevant parties will promptly carry out the work in the following aspects. The first is to increase publicity and interpretation. Various methods will be adopted to publicize, interpret and provide training guidance for the "Decision" to help staff of relevant departments and the general public better understand the content of the "Decision" and ensure that the "Decision" is accurately understood and strictly implemented. The second is to speed up the improvement of supporting systems. Relevant departments of the State Council and local people's governments will promptly issue relevant supporting regulations to further refine institutional measures, enhance the operability of the system, and ensure the implementation of the provisions of the "Decision". The third is to strengthen overall planning and coordination. The relevant competent departments of the State Council must effectively strengthen the organization, implementation, supervision and management, local people's governments must coordinate the specific implementation work, and relevant departments must strengthen coordination and cooperation in accordance with the division of responsibilities to form a joint force to ensure the effective implementation of various systems.