In the morning, on the fitness trail of the Oriental Pearl residential complex in Pingdong Community, Chengdong Subdistrict, Gutian County, Ningde, elderly residents take leisurely walks. Newly installed charging stations are surrounded by orderly parked electric vehicles. What was once an unmanaged community plagued by haphazard garbage disposal and vehicles blocking pathways is now clean and orderly throughout. Meanwhile, in the old lanes of Wenxing Community, "Alley Stewards" clad in red vests patrol, inspecting for potential safety hazards, mediating neighborly disputes, and disseminating policy information, addressing numerous minor yet vital community matters to the satisfaction of residents.
In recent years, Chengdong Subdistrict has focused on tackling challenges such as a high concentration of old residential areas, weak governance foundations, and insufficient service provision. Guided by Party building principles and tailored to local conditions, the subdistrict has pioneered two distinct and effective new paths for grassroots governance. In Pingdong Community, a new model of Party branch-led "red property management" has been established, while Wenxing Community has cultivated the micro-governance brand of "Alley Stewards." These initiatives have revitalized old communities and brought greater warmth to residents' lives.
**Red Property Management: Transforming "Unmanaged" into "Cooperatively Managed" – Revitalizing Old Residential Areas**
Established in May 2019, Pingdong Community is home to over 13,000 permanent residents. The long-standing issues of clustered old residential complexes and a lack of property management have been persistent concerns for residents, manifesting as deteriorating facilities, frequent conflicts, and ineffective self-governance by owners' committees, leading to services that were "inadequate and poorly managed."
"If we can't attract property management companies, we'll start our own," was the response. In March 2022, the Pingdong Community General Party Branch took the lead in establishing Wangjia Property Management Co., Ltd., the county's first property company led by a Party organization. This initiative integrates Party leadership throughout the property service delivery process, illuminating a new path for old community governance under the principles of "Party building guidance, red property management, multi-party co-governance, and shared development."
* **Organizational Leadership Weaves a "Governance Network":** In terms of organizational structure, a tripartite linkage mechanism between the community Party organization, the property management company, and the owners' committee has been strengthened, shifting from "each managing their own turf" to "working together in unison." Regarding workforce, property staff also serve as grid managers, leveraging their familiarity with people, locations, and situations to act as frontline "sentinels" for community sentiment. Operationally, an innovative "morning patrols, evening discussions + four-party consultation" model has been adopted. The community, property management, owners' committee, and resident representatives hold regular consultations, ensuring minor issues are resolved within the community and major issues receive swift responses. Over 380 livelihood-related problems have been resolved cumulatively.
* **Precise Strategies Activate "Service Capacity":** The community provides different "prescriptions" for various community "ailments." For old "three-no" communities (no owner committee, no property management, no maintenance fund), a "government support + try before you buy" approach is implemented. Initial investments are made to upgrade infrastructure and provide basic services free of charge. After gaining trust, fees are charged at public welfare standards. The property fee collection rate in the Oriental Pearl complex exceeds 90%. For communities with poorly performing owners' committees, tripartite co-management is implemented, standardizing processes and enabling joint supervision. The collection rate in Shengda Community has surged to 97%. For smaller "micro" communities, professional managers are introduced to provide tailored services that accurately match resident needs and promptly address issues.
Concurrently, the property management projects have expanded to include seven categories of convenient services such as cleaning, repairs, elevator maintenance, and waste removal. This not only meets diverse resident needs but also broadens revenue streams. Furthermore, it provides simple, accessible job opportunities for individuals facing difficulties, achieving a transition from "blood transfusion" to "blood generation." Currently, this property company serves five residential complexes with 1,467 households, generating annual revenue exceeding 800,000 yuan. It has facilitated employment for over ten residents within their communities, yielding both social and economic benefits.
**Caring Stewards Take Root: From "Cadres Working" to "Everyone Participating" – Filling Streets and Alleys with Warmth**
Unlike Pingdong Community, Wenxing Community is an old community formed by reservoir migrants. Its buildings are mostly interconnected wood-and-earth structures, with a prominent aging population and numerous safety hazards. The question was how to apply limited governance resources most effectively. The community has adopted "Alley Stewards" as its key approach, inviting residents to "take the stage" and become the main actors, weaving a safety net for governance right at their doorsteps.
"This team largely consists of retired veteran Party members and enthusiastic residents—they have prestige, time, and passion," explained a relevant person in charge of Wenxing Community. The community has divided responsibilities by area and assigned roles, creating three districts and twelve micro-grids. Each steward is responsible for specific streets, alleys, and buildings, serving as patrol officers, information officers, mediators, and communicators. They traverse every alley with their "iron soles" and serve their neighbors with "warm hearts," becoming a mobile force in community governance.
Wenxing Community has also fully integrated the "Alley Stewards" into the morning patrol and evening discussion mechanism. They inspect for hazards in the morning and discuss solutions to problems in the evening. Issues range from minor ones like damaged manhole covers and clutter堆放 to major concerns like housing safety and neighbor disputes. Residents now have someone to turn to when problems arise and someone to help solve difficulties, ensuring services reach the "last kilometer."
"This is an old community with a relatively high proportion of elderly and children, which is also our management focus," said Zeng Lifang, Secretary of the Wenxing Community General Party Branch. Leveraging the steward team, the community has connected with共建单位 resources to establish a "holiday school," recruiting volunteers to form professional teams addressing the care challenges for left-behind children. Volunteers, in turn, receive "reciprocation" – an innovative volunteer service points system guides and incentivizes residents to actively participate in governance, expanding the volunteer team. This transforms everyone from "bystanders" to "stakeholders," forming a governance community characterized by "everyone participates, everyone fulfills their duty, and everyone shares."
Today's Wenxing Community features clean, tidy old alleys and harmonious, mutually supportive neighborly relations. Safety hazards are managed, disputes are mediated, and livelihood needs are met. Former governance pain points have become highlights of happiness, and the "Alley Stewards" have become the most reliable and trusted "intimate helpers" in the hearts of the people.
Two teams, two models, yet one original aspiration and one steadfast commitment. Chengdong Subdistrict consistently regards Party building guidance as the "golden key" to solving governance challenges. It avoids uniformity, emphasizes adaptation to local conditions, extends the reach of governance to every building, every alley, and every household, and transforms minor livelihood matters into significant, heartwarming achievements.
Moving forward, Chengdong Subdistrict will continue to deepen Party building guidance, continuously optimize the service efficacy of the red property management model, and upgrade the "Alley Stewards" governance approach. It will take addressing the urgent, difficult, and worrisome issues of the masses as its starting point and落脚点. Through more concrete measures, better services, and more dynamic mechanisms, it will persistently tackle community governance challenges, striving to build a happy homeland characterized by共建共治共享, ensuring residents' lives become increasingly prosperous and secure.