BEIJING, Jan 17 Reuters China39;s housing regulator will work to keep housing supply and demand balanced, make home prices stable and strictly curb speculation, a ministry publication reported on Tuesday, after a flurry of government moves to support the crisishit sector.

China will make more targeted efforts to support demand for owneroccupied and improved housing to boost market confidence, according to China Construction News, led by the Ministry of Housing and UrbanRural Development.

The regulator held a video conference on Tuesday, vowing to promote home delivery, to help resolve financing risks for property firms and to equally support the balance sheets of stateowned and private property firms, the report said.

China39;s property sector, which accounts for a quarter of the economy, was badly hit last year as cashsqueezed developers were unable to finish apartment construction, prompting a mortgage boycott by some buyers.

The authorities have rolled out a flurry of support policies targeting home buyers and property developers in recent weeks, to relieve a longrunning liquidity squeeze that hit developers and delayed the completion of many housing projects.

Official data released on Tuesday showed property investment fell 10 in 2022, the first decline since records began in 1999, and property sales slumped the most since 1992, suggesting that government support measures were having a minimal effect so far.

The property sector39;s drag on economic growth in…