1982 the constitution stipulates that residents' committees or villagers' committees shall be established in cities and rural areas according to the areas where residents live. Their relationship with grass-roots political power is stipulated by law. The directors, vice-directors and members of residents' committees and villagers' committees are elected by residents and villagers. The tasks of residents' committees and villagers' committees are to manage public affairs and public welfare undertakings in their own residential areas, mediate civil disputes, help maintain social order, and reflect people's opinions, demands and suggestions to the people's government. In order to accomplish the above tasks, residents' committees and villagers' committees set up people's mediation committees, public security committees and public health committees.
According to 1952 Provisional Organization Regulations of Public Security Committee issued by Ministry of Public Security, 1954 Provisional Organization General Rules of People's Mediation Committee issued by the State Council, 1954 Provisional Organization Regulations of Urban Residents Committee adopted by NPC Standing Committee at the end of 1954 and 1982 Constitution, the vast number of urban and rural residents in China have been fully organized. The people manage social affairs, handle public welfare and other undertakings through residents' committees and villagers' committees and their various committees, solve problems in life, study, entertainment, sports and health, and protect and improve the environment in the region; They publicize law-abiding and conduct self-education; Assist the government in cracking down on the sabotage activities of criminals; Solve disputes among the people, mediate general civil and minor criminal cases, maintain good social order and protect the rights and interests of the masses.
The first neighborhood committee in New China is the neighborhood committee of Shangyang, Ziyang Street, Hangzhou, which was born on1October 23rd, 1949.