China's central government has allocated 16.7 billion yuan (2.45 billion U.S. dollars) to help fiscally stretched local governments solve the housing problems of low-income urban families, the Ministry of Finance said Thursday.

The move came after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao promised at the annual legislative session in March the nation would build 3 million low-cost apartments for low-income families and renovate 2.8 million shanty houses.

China has adopted a series of measures to cool the runaway property market and ease residents' frustration with skyrocketing home prices.

The measures include increasing land supply for residential property, especially for small- and medium-sized apartments for low- and middle-income families.

As a result of these measures, home transactions in some Chinese cities began decreasing in mid-April, prices have plateaued in some cities, and specultors are exiting the property market, the National Development and Reform Commission said on its website.