Some 500,000 people in Guangzhou have not been able to secure the ownership documents of the houses or flats they purchased, according to a government work conference on Monday.

Most are the victims of fraudulent real estate developers who sell housing in violation of government regulations, reports Guangzhou Daily.

The lack of transparency and difficulty ordinary citizens encounter in making enquiries with the housing authority has exacerbated the problem.

"People spend thousands of yuan and, in essence, only get a set of keys (to the apartments they buy). which could eventually cause social instability," said Shao Yunping, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People's Congress.

Real estate fraud has spurred a string of confrontations, including a protest involving more than 100 people as angry home buyers gathered at the GD Garden housing estate on November 23.

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