Preferential loans for buying, renting social housing; building new, renovating or repairing houses according to Decree 100/2015/ND-CP and Decree 49/2021/ND-CP of the Government that the Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) Lao Cai Branch is implementing is a program with profound humanitarian significance. From here, many hopes are opened up for the poor, low-income people, policy beneficiaries, cadres, workers, civil servants... to have more resources to invest in building new, repairing houses, realizing their dream of housing.

Having lived in a dilapidated old house in Phu Thinh 2 residential group, Pho Lu town (Bao Thang district) for decades, the family of Mr. Nguyen Hong Chinh (61 years old) and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Vui (57 years old) have now been able to realize their dream of owning a new house thanks to preferential capital to buy and rent social housing. Mr. Nguyen Van Thuyen (the eldest son of the couple), currently working at Lao Cai Iron and Steel Factory (Vietnam - China Minerals and Metallurgy Company Limited), confided: Thanks to the Bank for Social Policies creating favorable conditions for loans of more than 200 million VND, with preferential interest rates, my family pays about 800 thousand VND in interest each month, and the principal is paid every 6 months. The repayment period is 20 years, so my family is not under too much pressure to pay off the debt.

The unit has proactively sourced capital and implemented a social housing loan program that ensures publicity, transparency, and proper targeting and purpose, avoiding policy exploitation. At the same time, it has increased the promotion of the social housing loan program through the media. To date, the unit's total outstanding social housing debt has reached over 11.7 billion VND.

Ms. Do Thi Huong, Deputy Director of Transaction Office of Social Policy Bank, Bao Thang district.

In addition to Bao Thang district, other localities are currently "accelerating" the development of outstanding loans for this program. According to data from the Bank for Social Policies, Lao Cai Province Branch, as of April 30, 2023, the total outstanding loans for this program at the branch reached nearly 68 billion VND with 244 customers having outstanding loans.

In a solidly built house, Ms. Vu Thi Mai (Group 10, Coc Leu Ward, Lao Cai City) and her two children are still busy cleaning up their belongings. The three of them have just moved into their new house for more than a week; before that, they had to rent a house. Recently, Ms. Mai received the second disbursement of VND 80 million from the Social Policy Bank, Lao Cai Branch, from the social housing loan program, bringing the total loan amount to VND 150 million. This is an important resource to help her fulfill her wish to have a new house after a long time of renting a house. Ms. Mai said: I am a teacher, due to family circumstances, I am living with my two children. After learning that the Social Policy Bank, Lao Cai Branch, is implementing a social housing loan program with preferential interest rates (4.8%/year) and long-term loan terms (up to 25 years), I boldly borrowed the capital. With my own savings and support from my grandparents, my three children and I had a decent house to live in.

To effectively implement the program, the Provincial People's Committee has directed relevant departments and branches to coordinate with districts, towns, cities and the Lao Cai Provincial Branch of the Bank for Social Policies to strengthen propaganda so that the subjects clearly understand this support policy. The Provincial Labor Federation directly disseminates the province's directive documents on the implementation of Decree 100 of the Government to grassroots trade unions, especially in industrial parks, factories and enterprises in the province, helping workers, civil servants and employees access information on preferential social housing loan policies.

Decree 100 of the Government has brought joy to cadres, workers, civil servants, especially low-income workers... who need to borrow social housing with preferential interest rates, helping workers far from home to settle down, find work, work with peace of mind, and contribute to local development.