More than 10 million farmers in Chongqing find themselves torn between prospects of a comfortable city life and a possibly homeless one.

The municipal government has pledged to turn all of them into city residents by 2020 - but in return they have to give up their lands.

The massive urbanization reform, which pledged to grant city residency and social welfare to the farmers, has raised concerns for peasants on where they can find a home, given rocketing housing prices.

The city residency has proved alluring, with more than 14,000 people applying in less than two weeks to become city residents.

But critics said urbanization in such a hurry could certainly backlash. The two major challenges were housing policies and a sudden stream of newcomers, Caijing magazine commented on Sunday.

"How am I going to live in the city?" asked a farmer named Chen Wanguo. "The only skill I have is farming. That can't help me find a job."

"I can't afford to buy an apartment in the city, and once I am a city dweller, I would lose my houses in the countryside," said migrant worker Liu Ying.

Chongqing Mayor Huang Qifan explained yesterday that only those who have worked as migrant workers for at least three years could apply for the residency.

But he did not explain how these newcomers will afford a home in the city.