What Happens to Chinese Impoverished, Homeless?

Hi Everyone,

Being from California, I once thought it was the best place in the world.

Now, I see that the middle class is shrinking. An alarming amount of people are homeless or near homeless.

1. How come China does not have such a problem?

2. If their citizens have physical or mental disabilities, find themselves poor, etc. how does the government take care of them?

3. If I get a Chinese permanent resident permit, etc. could I ever qualify?

I do not mean to sound naive, but places like Norway have excellent safety nets, and give good housing and pay people, even if they retire, choose not to work, are students, etc.

China successfully completed a program to eliminate extreme poverty, which greatly reduced the number of people without a roof over their heads.

There are additional programs to house the homeless and mentally ill, but I don't have many details.

China has a social insurance program similar to the US social security.  Anyone working here should be able to pay into this.  Like US social security, don't expect a luxurious retirement based solely on social insurance, so saving for a more comfortable retirement is a good idea.

China also has a type of general social health insurance.  It doesn't make healthcare free, but does offer significant discounts on the already inexpensive healthcare that's available.  Private insurance for major medical issues is still a good idea.

 

This is pure speculation, but based on living in Korea and China, and once wandering into a park full of homeless people in Japan by accident, I think that the cultural difference means that generally people will not beg
Having said that I remember when I first came to China in 2009 there were beggars and also hawkers and scam artists. I would guess that the government doesn't tolerate them anymore and probably dumps them out of town. I've heard the horror stories about California so maybe it's different there, but I have been told in Europe and China enough times that the beggars you see on the streets are kind of owned by mafias who will sort them out with housing and food for the money that they get. My impression of how China works is that this is pretty much what the current regime hates more than anything.

I'd imagine that what the government can provide for a basic pension is not imaginable for a middle class westerner. I don't think any of us could even handle being working class here. You still see the old people going around looking for bottles and so on to recycle or selling lottery tickets, I think that is a government scheme. It's pretty terrifying with the demographic crisis, being early 40s it's something that is starting to worry me, I have no kids and don't own anything valuable, need to find another rich wife quick

Thanks for the info.

1. I must ask my Chinese wife about it.

2. I do come from California. I used to do a lot of charity work with the homeless. I have not returned in a few years, but I know the homeless crisis has exploded.

3. As for the California homeless crisis, a lot has to do with veterans with mental health, those who cannot afford astronomical rent and inflation, or those who have just given up trying to keep pace.

The best system is a mix of free market capitalism and taxation plus social policies.

Nordic countries, Singapore, Germany, and the Netherlands seem to do it best. Lots of ways to make money in a free market, but lots of rules, taxes, etc. to make sure no one is rigging the system to their own advantage. In the US, lots of rigging and lack of control during free market enterprises during good times, bailouts and subsidies of rich and certain preferred industries in the bad times.