SHANGHAI: Middle- and low-income families will enjoy better housing conditions in the next five years, the city's Mayor Han Zheng promised yesterday.

About 400,000 families will be given either their own home or a rent subsidy, he said at the first session of the 13th Shanghai Municipal People's Congress.

"A total of 300,000 economical housing units with a combined area of 20 million sq m will be built in the next five years," he said.