With a deteriorating environment and overgrown weeds, this community in Fujian was once dubbed a "primitive forest" by residents. Property management struggled with budget balance while residents were reluctant to increase fee standards, leading to frequent conflicts between property managers and residents... How did this "old and dilapidated" community achieve such a remarkable transformation?
"The peeling paint in the hallways looks terrible, and it gets all over your clothes." "The overgrown weeds downstairs are full of mosquitoes, leaving children with no place to play." "The bushes harbor dirt and grime, making the whole community smell awful when it gets hot." ... In Xingling Street, Jimei District, Xiamen City, the "old and dilapidated" Haiyun Huating community in Ningbao neighborhood once faced significant grassroots governance challenges, with residents voicing such complaints repeatedly.
Haiyun Huating community was built in 2005 and was called a "primitive forest" by residents due to its deteriorating environment and overgrown weeds. Low property fee standards, difficulty balancing property management expenses, and residents' reluctance to increase fee standards are common issues faced by old communities, and Haiyun Huating was no exception. As conflicts between property management and residents intensified, disputes over "how to spend money" became frequent. Over time, no one took charge of using public maintenance funds for facility repairs, making it difficult to maintain and improve the community environment.
"The community is our shared home. As Party members, we should have the awareness and responsibility to protect our homeland," said Fu Zhiyong, who took on the heavy responsibility of Party branch secretary and neighborhood committee director of Haiyun Huating community in 2023. As a retired English teacher new to grassroots governance, he was initially overwhelmed by the dizzying array of disputes and conflicts at the frontline.
"Solving the urgent needs and concerns of residents is the top priority," Fu Zhiyong said. Unlike the typical "scholar" stereotype, he was action-oriented and quickly united neighborhood committee members to collectively develop multiple solutions for homeowners to choose from. Ultimately, 88.9% of homeowners chose to try the "property consultant system" to promote community "self-governance" and resolve issues.
After environmental remediation, Haiyun Huating community's walkways, pavilions, and green shade replaced the once "overgrown weeds."
The "property consultant system," also known as the "property remuneration system," involves the neighborhood committee managing property fees uniformly, not only disbursing monthly salaries for property staff and material costs but also rolling over surplus funds for community renovation. This system aligned the goals of property management and homeowners, with both parties working together to "make the community better," completely changing the previous situation of "frequent conflicts between property management and residents."
After establishing the new system, how could they ensure its effective implementation? Fu Zhiyong recalled that after extensively soliciting homeowner suggestions, the neighborhood committee listed wall renovation as the "top priority" for community environmental improvement. Chen Binghu, vice director of the neighborhood committee and retired engineer proficient in project management, voluntarily took on the role of community renovation "designer." He drew plans and calculated costs himself, considering hiring a decoration company to give the community walls a "new look," but found this would require substantial funds. "Now when residents' problems urgently need solving, since hiring a company exceeds our budget, let's do it ourselves!" he said.
With urgency, once the neighborhood committee's plan emerged, property management and some homeowners collaborated immediately, climbing stairs, carrying cement, and painting, fully combining homeowner autonomy enthusiasm with property management professionalism, putting the community environmental improvement "top priority" on the agenda. After more than two months, everyone spent less than half the market price to independently complete the community wall renovation.
"The community's strength comes from every resident," "Whatever problems arise, we face them together," "We must create a beautiful homeland together," "I'm also a Party member, I want to participate in community renovation too"... Seeing long-standing "difficult problems" resolved, more and more residents and property staff shifted from "sweeping only their own doorstep" to "protecting the shared sky," joining the community environmental improvement "brigade" - building flower beds, adding parking spaces, laying cobblestone paths, introducing smart water dispensers, donating ping-pong tables and other sports facilities, purchasing marble tables, chairs and umbrellas... As households took action, this "community" - everyone's shared "homeland" - became filled with hope.
"Now the community environment keeps getting better, it's truly a 'complete transformation from old to new'!" said Lin Jianglong, a Haiyun Huating community resident. "Before, after work, I couldn't wait to 'take two steps in three' to rush home quickly. Now the former bushes and weeds have become health walkways and fitness facilities. Every day after dinner, I want to go downstairs for some activity."
From "complaints everywhere" to "continuous praise," Haiyun Huating community's "old and dilapidated" state welcomed a "new appearance." Through Party-led grassroots governance, community environmental improvement no longer needs to worry about funding - in 2024, Haiyun Huating community achieved 120,000 yuan in public revenue through parking spaces and express delivery storage cabinets, using it entirely for septic tank cleaning, streetlight replacement, and other environmental and facility improvements and upgrades.
The transformation from "old and dilapidated" to "new appearance" couldn't happen without the efforts of community Party committees, neighborhood committees, property management, and residents. This reflects Haiyun Huating community's adherence to "Party leadership, homeowner participation, collaborative decision-making, joint development, shared management, mutual evaluation of results, and shared benefits," and represents a microcosm of Jimei District's Party-led grassroots governance.
In recent years, Jimei District has comprehensively promoted a "one core, multiple elements" Party-led governance system with unified community Party organization leadership, active coordination among various organizations, and broad participation by Party members and residents, addressing the "three old, one outdated" reality of many old communities, many elderly people, many old buildings, and outdated infrastructure.
As Party strength gradually extends to the grassroots level, the local Party organizational system continues expanding toward grassroots governance endpoints. Communities, as basic units and focal points of grassroots governance, will explore more innovative and feasible new pathways for solving grassroots governance challenges and building happy, beautiful homes.