Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi speaks at the Conference. (Source: Ministry of Construction)

Speaking at the Conference, Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi affirmed that over the past years, the Party and State have always paid attention to and identified the provision of housing for people as a key task in the country's socio-economic development. Hundreds of thousands of low-income households and hundreds of thousands of workers have had their housing improved and have stable and safe accommodation.

However, the implementation of social housing policies has also revealed some shortcomings and limitations that need to be overcome, such as planning for land allocation for social housing development; mechanisms and policies to encourage the development of social housing and housing for workers; the responsibility of the State in allocating preferential loans to develop social housing; the attention of local authorities and enterprises in taking care of housing for people, especially low-income people in urban areas, industrial park workers, etc.

From the above difficulties and problems, the Ministry of Construction has submitted and the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 338/QD-TTg dated April 3, 2023 approving the Project "Investing in the construction of at least 1 million social housing units for low-income people and industrial park workers in the period 2021-2030;" which sets out specific viewpoints and goals.

The target is to complete about 1,062,200 apartments in localities by 2030. Of which, about 428,000 apartments will be completed in the 2021-2025 period; about 634,200 apartments will be completed in the 2025-2030 period; and specific targets for completing social housing will be assigned to localities in each period (2022-2025 and 2025-2030). The project has also proposed synchronous solutions for central ministries, branches, localities, and enterprises to implement.

To ensure the implementation of the Project to achieve its set goals, this conference aims to promptly remove difficulties and obstacles and find effective solutions for implementation in the coming time, said Minister Nguyen Thanh Nghi.

Minister Nguyen Thanh Nghi requested ministries, branches and localities to focus on assessing the actual situation and results of the implementation in the past time; clearly identify the shortcomings, limitations, causes and propose practical and effective solutions, especially the solution of mobilizing all resources from society to participate with the support of the State to promote the development of social housing to achieve the goals of the Project. In addition, it is necessary to focus on issues related to policy institutions, land investment and construction procedures, administrative procedure reform, etc.

Overview of the Conference. (Source: Ministry of Construction)

According to local reports, as of May 18, 2023, in the 2021-2025 period, the whole country has completed 41 social housing projects in urban areas, with a construction scale of about 19,516 units; 294 projects are continuing to be implemented with a construction scale of about 288,499 units.

Specifically, the Social Housing Development Program for Industrial Park Workers has completed the construction of 7 projects with a construction scale of about 5,314 apartments; and is continuing to implement 93 projects with a construction scale of about 127,272 apartments.

Social housing development program for low-income people in urban areas: completed investment in construction of 34 projects, construction scale of about 14,202 apartments; continuing to implement 201 projects, construction scale of about 161,227 apartments.

In the coming time, the Ministry of Construction will continue to coordinate with relevant ministries and branches in amending a number of laws such as land and bidding; focus on amending policies and procedures for state incentive policy projects and policies for the armed forces; continue to remove obstacles in housing for workers; report to the Prime Minister for approval and consideration of implementing social housing policies...

The Ministry of Construction said that localities must urge investors of commercial housing projects and urban areas to invest in building social housing on 20% of the land fund of these projects according to the approved schedule; in case the investor fails to do so, the 20% land fund will be recovered to select and hand over to other investors.

Review social housing projects, worker housing, and apartment building renovation and reconstruction projects, based on the guidance of the Ministry of Construction and the State Bank, make a list of social housing and worker housing construction projects.

As for large real estate businesses and corporations, in addition to developing urban and housing projects, they need to pay more attention to investing in developing social housing for low-income people and industrial park workers in localities to ensure social security and achieve the goals set out in the Project.

Strictly implement the responsibility of investing in social housing on 20% land fund in commercial housing projects and urban areas invested by enterprises.