Homes for needy put on hold (2)

He said the organization has not yet nailed down plans to obtain the land to build the apartments. "I am not sure whether the local government can allocate a free plot of land to build the apartments for the poor."

"Building homes for the poor is part of the social welfare system. In fact, it is the government's responsibility to build affordable housing," Shi Changkui, a charity expert with the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times, adding that he understands why officials are not willing to share personal details of needy families.

Shi said although the intention is good, it will probably waste charity resources to do something that has already been covered by the social welfare system.

"It is better for charities to do work that the local government has no spare resources to do," said Shi.

He said the organization will publish how it uses the money collected from donations to ensure its transparency. "And giving apartments to poor families will not use up all the donations. The rest of the money will be doled out to schools and children in poor areas in other regions of the country."