Get caught spitting 7 times and you could lose your home in southern Chinese city

Spitting could result in homelessness in China

GUANGZHOU, China — Residents could find themselves homeless if they get caught publicly spitting seven times at a low-income housing complex in a southern Chinese city.

Tossing fruit peels, spitting chewing gum on the ground and urinating in public are other no-nos listed Thursday on a government Web site in Guangzhou. The rules are part of a proposal designed to enforce better behavior at the new public housing project.

Residents who rack up 20 penalty points within two years can lose their homes. People caught spitting or urinating in public earn three points, so seven such infractions could result in expulsion. The government is still collecting public feedback on the proposal.

Public spitting is popular across China, despite repeated campaigns to discourage it. Chinese authorities made a particular effort to deter the practice before the 2008 Beijing Olympics.