Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà (standing) gives instruction at the conference. — VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà on Thursday emphasised that ministries and localities must consider the project to build one million social housing units for low-income people and workers an important political task.

Giving instruction at the conference to implement the project "Investment in building at least one million social housing apartments for low-income people and industrial park workers in the period 2021-30”, which was organised by the Ministry of Construction (MoC) in Hà Nội, the Deputy PM said that housing was a matter of security, ensuring prosperous life and meeting the legitimate needs of the people.

The project needed creative ways to overcome difficulties and obstacles to speed up progress, he said.

State management agencies need to carefully review and apply the newly passed Law on Land and related legal documents to create a strict legal corridor for the project.

Social housing areas must be associated with complete infrastructure systems, making it convenient for people to live there.

"Enterprises must use all available land resources in accordance with approved planning to create land funds for social housing. As for provincial and municipal people's committees, it is necessary to urgently complete local housing development programmes and plans,” said Deputy PM Hà.

Local plans must clarify the goals being suitable with the National Housing Development Strategy for the period 2021-30, vision to 2045, he said.

Deputy PM Hà also required localities to publicise and introduce social housing investment land funds to businesses for research and investment.

They must balance and arrange local budgets to encourage, give incentives, and call for economic sectors to participate in social housing development in the area.

Policies

At the conference, Minister of Construction Nguyễn Thanh Nghị said, “Developing social housing for workers is both one of the pillars of social security policies and an effective solution to promote socio-economic development.”

With the close and firm direction of the Government and the Prime Minister, and the proactive and responsible participation of ministries and localities, the social housing project has so far achieved important milestones.

Specifically, last year, the Government submitted to the National Assembly and received approval for the Law on Housing and the amended Law on Land, along with many related legal documents.

The documents with many new contents have removed a number of difficulties and obstacles in promoting social housing for workers.

The new policies, along with the National Housing Development Strategy and programmes to support new construction and renovation of housing, would certainly create a more complete legal corridor, said Nghị.

The legal corridor will ensure support and encouragement for the business community to develop social housing.

Particularly from 2021 to present, as many as 499 social housing projects have been implemented nationwide with more than 411,000 apartments, of which 71 projects have been completed with nearly 40,0000 apartments.

A total of 127 projects started construction with nearly 108,000 housing units and more than 300 projects were approved for investment with 265,500 units.

An under-construction social housing project in Long Khánh City, Đồng Nai Province. VNA/VNS Photo Lê Xuân

Scheme

Statistics of the MoC showed that currently 28 provinces have announced 68 projects eligible for loans under the VNĐ120 trillion (US$4.8 billion) credit programme.

Six housing projects in five localities have been disbursed a capital of about VNĐ415 billion ($16.8 million).

Notably, more than 8,300ha of land across the country has been planned for social housing.

Thus, compared to 2020 (3,359ha), the area of land increased.

Some localities are interested in planning land funds for social housing development such as Đồng Nai (1,063ha), HCM City (608ha), Long An (577ha), Hải Phòng (471ha) and Hà Nội (412ha).

However, some localities have not yet planned land funds, such as Ninh Bình, Lai Châu, Nghệ An, Ninh Thuận and Đồng Tháp.

At the same time, there are still problems for businesses investing in social housing related to accessing land, construction investment procedures, credit and preferential policies.

“This year, the Government’s Resolution 01/NQ-CP requires promoting social housing, striving to complete about 130,000 apartments. This is a very high requirement and goal; ministries and localities must drastically implement the proposed tasks,” said Nghị.

They must review planning, land fund arrangement and administrative procedures reform, and find solutions to urge disbursement for the $4.8 billion credit programme, he said. — VNS