An aerial view of the southwestern area of Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hùng

HÀ NỘI — Issues related to land and housing for workers remain a pressing issues among the public in the capital city of Hà Nội, as Việt Nam gears up for the 14th National Party Congress.

This topic not only concerns growth figures but also reflects public aspirations and tests breakthrough policies in the new era.

Nguyễn Văn Hùng, a young Party member working at an IT company in Hà Nội said that currently, the price of an average apartment can reach several billion đồng – far beyond the lifetime earnings of a typical office worker. This means for many, to be able to settle in the capital city is still a distant dream.

Hùng said: “I hope that the 14th National Party Congress will not only issue visionary resolutions but also concrete, practical policies to address the social housing challenge.

“People are expecting mechanisms under which businesses are no longer hesitant to build affordable housing, and workers can access long-term loans with truly preferential interest rates."

Đặng Văn Ánh, former director general of the Việt Nam Immigration Department and a Party member of 62 years, noted that land is an issue directly tied to national development and public sentiment.

He noted that, in addition to the recently amended Land Law, social housing policies aimed at housing for low-income groups must deliver clear directions and tangible outcomes.

Businesses need to be genuinely motivated to participate in social housing development, said the former official, expressing hope that the State would soon introduce solutions to address the challenges in high housing prices.

Quoting Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, Ánh said that the interests of businesses, the State and the people must be harmonised, with successes shared and difficulties jointly shouldered.

Sharing the same perspective, Dư Thị Thư, a Party Committee member and standing vice chairwoman of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Committee of Vĩnh Tuy Ward in Hà Nội, said that land has become a major bottleneck to national development.

She explained that shortcomings in land valuation mechanisms, marked by instability and a lack of clarity that creates hesitation among enforcers, are a key constraint.

The 2024 Land Law abolished the ‘land price framework’ and shifted to an annually updated land price table that more closely reflects market values. This is a noteworthy step forward, she said, but land valuation mechanisms still face many obstacles in practice.

To remove these bottlenecks, she expressed hope that the 14th National Party Congress would promote a new governance mindset focusing on fully transparent land data and streamlined administrative procedures.

Meanwhile, Hà Nội is also grappling with the severe deterioration of many old apartment blocks across its urban landscape, said Thư.

Residents living in these areas are looking towards the Party Congress with hopes for fair compensation mechanisms and more decisive construction progress. They need new and safe buildings for a stable life, with residents’ rights placed at the core, Thư said.

Ahead of the 14th National Party Congress, residents of the capital have expressed practical expectations, calling for measures to better regulate housing prices through tax instruments and market-based policies.

They also expect stalled and wasteful projects to be addressed more decisively in order to unlock land resources, alongside more sustainable planning that integrates land use with green living spaces and modern transport infrastructure.

The 14th National Party Congress is not only an occasion to select capable and dedicated leaders, but also a moment to realise the aspirations of the people. Placing people’s interests at the centre of land and housing decisions, while addressing shortcomings with transparency and resolve, would serve as a measure of the country’s prosperity and well-being. — VNS