The groundbreaking ceremony of one of the social housing project in Thái Nguyên on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Trần Trang

HÀ NỘI — Thái Nguyên Province on Monday broke ground on six social housing projects worth a total of more than VNĐ7.5 trillion (US$287 million) as Việt Nam steps up efforts to expand affordable housing.

These projects added nearly 6,000 apartments to the market, including 496 rental units.

Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyễn Văn Sinh said the Government considers social housing, particularly rental housing, a key pillar of the country's social welfare policy and national housing development strategy.

He said the Government is shifting its focus from predominantly commercial housing towards a more balanced approach that promotes both commercial and rental housing to meet the increasingly diverse housing needs of the population.

Rental housing should be integrated into urban planning, industrial park development, transport infrastructure and labour market planning, he said, calling for greater private-sector participation alongside State investment.

He urged authorities to accelerate administrative procedures and remove bottlenecks to ensure the projects are completed on schedule and meet the province's social housing targets for 2026 and the 2026-30 period.

He asked developers to ensure construction quality and timelines while publicly disclosing project information so eligible buyers and tenants can register for purchase or rent.

Thái Nguyên has been assigned a target of developing 24,800 social housing units during the 2026-30 period. However, the province has proposed raising the target to 60,000 units by 2030, citing rising housing demand from workers, members of the armed forces and population growth following recent administrative restructuring.

The province has earmarked around 166ha of land for social housing development.

Eleven social housing projects with a combined capacity of 11,666 apartments are currently under construction in the province.

By the end of June 2026, the province had completed 2,181 social housing units, exceeding the Government's annual target. — VNS