A total of 491 government-subsidized affordable rentals are ready to welcome their first tenants in Shatoujiao, Yantian, this March.

Converted from old factory buildings, Morsun Youth Apartments are the first such rentals in the district to be transformed from non-residential buildings following a government policy published in 2022. That policy encourages developers to repurpose existing buildings and provide affordable housing to the public.

The bedroom in a suite of Morsun Youth Apartments.

Just a five-minute walk from Yantian Port West Station on Metro Line 8, the apartments are located near the coastal boardwalk of Yantian Central Park and are not far from One Mall, a one-stop shopping center housing boutiques, toy and book stores, as well as restaurants and cafes.

The available units cater to the needs of both individuals and families, offering suites, single rooms, quadruple rooms, and eight-person rooms. The complex is also equipped with facilities such as a gym, shared kitchen, basketball court, and badminton court to meet the diverse needs of young people.

The second phase of the project, comprising 542 units, is under construction and will open in May.

The apartments are located near the coastal boardwalk of Yantian Central Park.

Huang Yingming, an official from the property firm that manages the apartments, said the project will charge rents strictly following government pricing standards for affordable housing.

Transforming a large-span industrial space into residential apartments came with its own technical challenges, Huang explained. His team installed sprinklers and alarm systems and optimized evacuation routes to comply with fire safety codes for residential buildings. While keeping the original structure intact, they also optimized interior layouts and added ventilation equipment to ensure fresh air indoors.

A map shows the location of Morsun Youth Apartments.

Yantian-based Weiming Industrial Co., formerly a manufacturer of toys, molds, and micro motors, has shifted to the rental business in recent years. It owns six buildings in the Shatoujiao area. The Morsun Youth Apartments are their first effort to renovate those buildings into affordable rentals.