In order to increase the supply of social housing and housing for workers, recently, in the draft Law on Social Housing (amended), the draft law drafting committee proposed allowing the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to be the investor of these projects.

However, this proposal is receiving mixed opinions. Most opinions agree that this proposal is necessary to increase the supply of social housing and housing for workers, which is already very low.

Mr. Le Hoang Chau, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association (HOREA), said that the draft Housing Law allowing the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to participate in investing in the construction of social housing is appropriate.

Because the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor has a role in coordinating with the Government and localities to direct the development of social housing and workers' accommodation.

However, Mr. Chau said that the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor should not directly invest in projects to build social housing and workers' accommodation.

“Instead, economic organizations with real estate business functions under the General Confederation of Labor and provincial-level Labor Confederations that meet the conditions prescribed by law can be selected as investors in social housing projects and worker accommodation inside and outside industrial parks,” said Mr. Chau.

Meanwhile, some opinions say that the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor should not be regulated as the investor of social housing projects and worker accommodation. Opinions say that this is a new issue, many contents have not been clarified, the pilot process in the past has many problems, and is not "mature" enough to be regulated in the Law.

Previously, in the 25th Session, the National Assembly Standing Committee gave opinions on explaining, accepting, and revising the draft Law on Housing (amended). Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Quang Phuong was concerned that the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor did not have a strong enough force to take on the role of investor in social housing projects and workers' accommodation.

According to Mr. Phuong, the General Confederation of Labor should perform the proper functions of a socio-political organization (supervision, social criticism, policy advice). The General Confederation of Labor represents the workers' right to ownership, but that does not mean it can do anything.

In addition, according to Mr. Phuong, the General Confederation of Labor also does not have resources when it comes to state money, while there is no staff to do the job.

"This issue must be carefully considered because if we do it without completing our tasks, officials can be disciplined," said the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly.