Housing in China stands out as a trigger of social tension these days. Watch the reality TV shows where grumpy spouses quarrel over housing ownership. Listen to the common middle-class complaint that the dream of buying a roof overhead is out of reach. I commiserate with male college graduates who remain single because they can't afford to buy the marriage home expected by tradition.

Small wonder that Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng said earlier this year that a metropolis like Shanghai has no future if it cannot resolve the housing crunch.

Almost everybody - from government officials to migrant workers - agrees that the housing issue is a tough one to solve. The government has imposed several restrictions to cool property speculation, but home prices remain stubbornly high in cities like Shanghai and Beijing.

Still, home ownership remains near and dear to the hearts of the Chinese people. The ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius once famously noted that "people enjoy home ownership." And perhaps nowhere has that philosophy been put into practice more effectively than in Singapore, under the auspices of its unique Housing and Development Board.

I recently visited a friend in Singapore who lives in an apartment block in Toa Payoh public housing estate. The block is splendidly set among gardens, decorated corridors and public pavilions. My friend's home was far roomier and better than even an expensive residential property my family bought in downtown Shanghai.

During my visit to the HDB Hub, its headquarters in Toa Payoh, and my stay in my friend's HDB apartment, I couldn't help but weigh the differences between China and Singapore with respect to public housing.

Of course, Singapore's population is only about 5 million, or a fourth of Shanghai's and a mere fraction of China's. That makes direct comparisons dangerous. Still, lessons can be learned.

China is trying to build up its public housing system to satisfy the yearning of so many people priced out of its housing market.

In a strategy of playing catch-up with Singapore, China is offering budget homes with prices below market value, offering subsidized rental homes and building housing for the poor.

China began accelerating construction of its own public housing program in 2008 and has pledged to build or renovate 10 million units this year.

Singapore has a much longer history in public housing. The island-republic launched its program when it set up the HDB in February 1960.

Today, public housing accommodates more than 80 percent of Singaporeans, with about 90 percent of them owning their HDB flats.

A family with at least one Singapore citizen is eligible to apply to buy a three-bedroom flat subsidized by the HDB as long as their average gross monthly household income is under S$10,000 (US$8,260).

Homes for masses

In 2010, the average gross monthly household income was S$8,058 according to Singapore statistics, which means families with above-average incomes in the city-state can apply for public housing.

I guess that's what amazed me most. Though China is stepping up its public housing program, cheaper homes are available only to about 7 percent of urban households. By 2015, if the government meets its target of 36 million units, public housing will be available for 20 percent of urban households.

In my view, the bar has been set too high for poorer families.

I still remember one year ago when Shanghai introduced its budget homes program the excitement and glee felt by many potential home buyers that they would finally be able to afford their own home. The jubilation, however, turned to despair when the banks refused to lend to them. It's a dilemma. Low income-earning families who qualify for low-cost housing are deemed too poor to afford a mortgage because of their meager incomes. The middle-income earners are not much better off either when it came to trying to buy a home of their own.

They don't qualify for government subsidies because of their higher incomes but they can't afford properties at the current high prices. The so-called "middle-of-nowhere group" is also caught in a conundrum. So I really had to envy my Singaporean friend. She is among the majority of Singaporeans who benefit from quality, state-subsidized housing.

Can Shanghai copy the Singapore model? I really doubt it. Can lessons be learned? Certainly.

First, public housing should not create ghettos for the poor. In Singapore, the public housing program embraces a wide swath of the citizenry, resulting in residential communities of mixed income groups and backgrounds.

Secondly, public housing communities in Shanghai should endeavor to create pleasant living surroundings, allowing people to not only live there but also enjoy the experience. All too often, residential communities in Shanghai lack enough public space for children's playgrounds or gardens, creating a concrete jungle.

And last but not least, the Shanghai government should leverage more of its resources to make public housing available to more people.

I don't think authorities in Shanghai are blind to the acuteness of the problem they face.

Shanghai has said it plans to raise the cap on income or assets of applicants for budget homes by at least 10 percent, thus allowing more residents to join the program in the first half of 2012. It's the second time for the authorities to relax the cap on assets to public housing.At present, local individuals whose monthly salary is less than 2,900 yuan (US$453) or those who have average household assets of less than 90,000 yuan are eligible for subsidized housing in Shanghai.

From next year, the cap on monthly income will be raised to 3,300 yuan per head and the limit on financial assets will rise to 120,000 yuan.

In 2009 when Shanghai launched its public housing program, the monthly income cap was 2,300 yuan while the limit on average household assets was 70,000 yuan.

Still too high

In Shanghai last year, the average monthly salary rose 9 percent to 3,896 yuan. The average price of a new private apartment in Shanghai is above 22,000 yuan per square meter now. A quick calculation shows a 90-square-meter private apartment could cost 2 million yuan, or S$400,000. The average price of comparable public housing in Singapore in 2010 was around S$275,000.

About 33,000 households in 13 Shanghai districts applied for subsidized housing in the fourth quarter of 2010. The bulk of them were in the Yangpu, Putuo, Zhabei and Hongkou districts.

By the end of this year, about 80,000 budget apartments will be ready for the market in Shanghai.

Maybe someday Shanghai will catch up with Singapore's public housing program.