Deputies from Lào Cai, Vĩnh Phúc, Gia Lai and Vĩnh Long provinces discuss the Law on Housing (amended) on Monday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The National Assembly deputies discussed the amendment of the Law on Housing (2014) at the ongoing 15th NA’s fifth plenary session on Monday.

The deputies agreed on the need to make comprehensive amendments to the Law on Housing, thereby fully institutionalising the guidelines and policies of the Party and the State on housing.

During the session, they raised a number of issues related to social housing, policies for resettlement, and property ownership by foreign individuals and organisations.

Commenting on naming the housing areas for the poor and low-income people, resettlement areas, social housing areas, delegate Nguyễn Anh Trí from Hà Nội said that there should be policies for the people in this group.

It is necessary to ensure these people have a house to live in so that they can work with peace of mind, according to Trí.

It is even more imperative for resettlement cases as the State takes people's land, so there must be a place for the people to live. The quality of those buildings must meet standards and criteria.

Deputy Nguyễn Anh Trí said these house projects must meet the standards of safety and quality prescribed by the State.

Deputies at the discussion also suggested not to write or hang nameplates of buildings or apartment complexes with names such as housing for the poor, housing for low-income people, and resettlement areas.

They said those names are only used on documents and papers to have land and construction funds.

Being named in this way, buildings also show discrimination and disrespect towards residents living there.

Delegates suggested naming these buildings with neutral names such as flowers.

Deputy Nguyễn Hữu Chính said that resettlement housing and commercial housing projects had completely different quality.

He suggested that it was necessary to clearly stipulate the quality of the housing in the law, avoid people being resettled to areas of lower quality.

He said the policy for resettled people was still very weak so it would be necessary to adjust the quality of resettlement housing areas.

According to the Law on Housing, resettled people are guaranteed to enjoy conditions equal to or better than their old residence.

The deputy said that this concept was very abstract. One might think that the size and the location of the resettlement area were appropriate but for resettled people, it could be problematic to leave a place where they have been living for years.

He also noted that the words “equal” and “better” were difficult to quantify and needed to be amended.

With regards to property ownership of the foreign entities, some deputies said that it was necessary to have tighter regulations to ensure foreigners who stay in the country temporarily are entitled for home rental only.

The formulation of the Law on Housing (amended) aims to promptly institutionalise the guidelines of the Party and the State in housing development for the people, especially low-income people and people with disabilities, poor people who are unable to afford houses according to the market mechanism.

On the same day, the NA also discussed the draft Law on Water Resources (amended) and the Law on Credit Institutions (amended). — VNS