Across China, failing developers are halting construction on new housing complexes. Desperate buyers are moving in anyway.

Residents moving into unfinished apartment blocks is rare in China, but not unheard of.

For the residents of Jinling Apartment, life in the building has been inconvenient, but tolerable. Many of them grew up in poverty, and are used to coping with poor living conditions.

“Tough? We’re all people who have experienced bitterness,” says Song. “This house is much better than the village house (I was renting before). I was afraid the village house was on the verge of collapse.”