Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính chairs an online national conference with ministries, agencies, local authorities, and businesses, connecting with 17 provinces and cities, on accelerating social housing development on Friday morning in Hà Nội. —VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính stressed the need to create the most favourable and transparent conditions for people to access social housing fairly and equitably, warning that if homebuyers are forced to “scramble or pull strings” to secure a property, it will distort policy.

PM Chính, who also heads the Central Steering Committee on Housing Policy and the Real Estate Market, called for the establishment of a National Social Housing Fund to drive breakthrough growth in this sector.

He made the announcements while chairing an online national conference with ministries, agencies, local authorities and businesses across 17 provinces and cities, on accelerating social housing development, held on Friday morning in Hà Nội.

He assigned the Ministry of Construction to draft a new Government Resolution to further implement the Housing Law and the National Assembly’s resolution on social housing, with the aim of speeding up progress and ensuring sustainable development to meet public demand.

“The key issue is finding the fastest possible solutions to develop social housing,” the PM said.

He added that the upcoming resolution must contain breakthrough measures to resolve longstanding legal obstacles, laying out long-term mechanisms while allowing flexible adjustments based on actual conditions.

Within the next two to three years, social housing development should become stable and systematic, he said.

The scope of the resolution will apply nationwide, encouraging participation from qualified enterprises with adequate financial capacity, experience and commitment.

He ordered that administrative procedures be cut by at least 50 per cent, localities ensure clean land funds are allocated for social housing and also called for the diversification of funding sources to expand housing supply.

The PM said that local authorities must take decisive and responsible action to handle administrative procedures efficiently and accurately, under the principle of “local decisions, local implementation, local accountability.”

He urged them to be bold and innovative, ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of both citizens and businesses while upholding legal discipline.

He requested that the resolution clearly define procedures for homebuyers, strengthening post-auditing and using shared national databases to guarantee transparency for both investors and buyers.

The resolution should also expand eligibility for social housing support and promote development in both urban and rural areas.

“In every urban area, there must be a mix of housing segments, including social housing, sharing the same infrastructure,” he said.

The resolution will also include provisions on real estate trading floors, the national housing database and mechanisms for managing the social housing fund, aiming to ensure rapid yet sustainable development.

PM Chính told the ministries and agencies to refine their recommendations related to social housing, enabling the ministry of construction to finalise the draft within five days for Government review and approval.

He assigned Deputy PM Trần Hồng Hà to oversee the process and requested that the construction ministry urgently complete and submit the draft for promulgation within this month.

“The Party has led, the Government has agreed, the National Assembly has supported, and the people are waiting and expecting," he said.

“So, we only discuss how to act, not whether to act.”

At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyễn Văn Sinh reported that 696 social housing projects are currently under way across the country, comprising of 637,000 apartments.

Of these, 165 projects (116,000 apartments) have been completed, 151 projects (132,000 apartments) have begun construction, and 380 projects (388,000 apartments) have received investment approval.

In the first nine months of this year, over 50,000 apartments were completed, reaching 50.5 per cent of the annual target.

By the end of this year, the figure is expected to reach 89,000 apartments, or 89 per cent of the yearly plan.

Sinh said that efforts would continue to ensure completion of 100,000 social housing apartments this year.

He added that across the country, significant attention has been paid to allocating land for social housing.

Around 1,427 locations, covering over 9,800 ha, have been earmarked for such projects.

“Despite these efforts, the demand for social housing remains immense,” he said.

In many localities, residents still have to queue to submit applications.

While the administrative process is simple and the eligibility criteria have been expanded, the main problem lies in limited supply, forcing people to wait in line to register for social housing, he said.— VNS