Housing career disparities in a transitional society: Comparing local residents, new citizens, and the floating population in Nanjing

Previous housing studies have primarily focused on the differences in homeownership between local residents and the floating population. However, the increasing proportion of new residents has been largely overlooked. Furthermore, the ‘snapshot’ approach focusing on homeownership transitions overlooks the multiple and shifting housing states over the life course. Based on survey data collected in Nanjing, this study analyses the differences in housing careers among local residents, new citizens, and the floating population using sequence analysis, and examines the underlying factors using a multinomial logistic regression model. The results indicate that local residents enjoy a distinct advantage in their housing careers, achieving homeownership earlier. Although the floating population and new citizens typically start in rental housing, their housing trajectories diverge over time. New citizens are more likely to achieve upward housing careers, whereas the floating population is more likely to be ‘trapped’ in rental housing. These disparities intensify across age cohorts which can be traced to broader changes in the housing system. This study provides a temporal lens for understanding housing inequality and emphasises the significance of the floating population in overcoming the limitations of the hukou system and housing market through efforts to achieve upward housing careers.