The state council has convened a meeting to discuss the building of government-subsidized apartments.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural development has instructed local governments to start building by the end of October. The meeting will detail policies on the size, requirements and subsidies for rental accommodation.

It will also outline regulations on partial purchase of low-rent houses and the proportion of commercial and low-cost homes.

The central government has vowed to provide 10 million subsidized apartments nationwide to low-income families this year. That figure roughly translates into half the housing floor space sold in 2010.