And it includes changes to the regulatory system for social housing - including the abolition of the Tenant Services Authority and changes to the ombudsman regime for social housing complaints.

BBC: At-a-glance: Localism Bill

Private-home prices have now surged 59% since the market's most recent cyclical trough of 133.3 points in the second quarter of 2009, prompting growing public complaints over housing costs.

WSJ: Singapore Residential Property Prices Rise

Complaints about expensive housing are common, and so are gripes about infrastructure, particularly the city's congested roads.

ECONOMIST: The Cambridge cluster

During Labour's time in office, then-Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott faced regular complaints that his housing plans were a threat to the green belt.

BBC: What would Britain look like without a green belt?

Other plaintiffs were farmers who feared that new housing tracts would lead to complaints from neighbours annoyed by the fact that agriculture is smelly and noisy.

ECONOMIST: Who owns the beauty of Oregon?

Evictions for non-payment of rent have increased by 20% since rent control was abolished, and more than 7, 000 eviction complaints were handled by Boston's housing court last year, compared to 5, 000 in 1993 before rent control ended.

ECONOMIST: Rent control

Now that the Democratic Party has an office there, says Mr Fong, the housing department takes swifter note of residents' requests and complaints.

ECONOMIST: Hong Kong: Rats, parking and politics | The

But when they found out that following these policies could be profitable -- which they were as long as rising housing prices kept default rates unusually low -- their complaints disappeared.

WSJ: How Government Stoked the Mania

Liu Ping of Shenyang Normal University says housing demolition contributed to an 80% rise in the number of complaints submitted to the government by north-easterners in 2003.

ECONOMIST: Reforming the north-east