Houses are seen along a canal in HCM City. The city plans to relocate all 41,540 houses on and along rivers, canals and waterways by 2030. —Photo: baovephapluat.vn

HCM CITY — HCM City plans to relocate all 41,540 houses located on and along rivers, canals and waterways during 2026-30, with total estimated investment of nearly VNĐ397 trillion ( US$15.3 billion).

The municipal Department of Construction said it had completed and submitted to the city’s People’s Committee a plan to implement the urban improvement scheme for residential areas on and along rivers and canals for 2025-30.

Under the plan, the city will implement 115 projects across 53 wards and communes, focusing on relocating households and developing embankments, roads and technical infrastructure.

District 8 (old administrative area) has the largest number of houses subject to relocation, with about 14,950 houses along 19 canals and waterways.

According to the proposed roadmap, the city aims to relocate 2,921 houses in 2026, while starting the Rạch Văn Thánh project and completing 10 transitional projects.

It will also prepare 1,202 resettlement apartments and land plots for affected households.

By 2027, the cumulative number of relocated houses is expected to reach 5,139. The city also targets completing 3,510 social housing units using non-budgetary capital.

The year 2028 has been identified as a key acceleration phase, with the cumulative number of relocated houses expected to reach 26,508, or 63.8 per cent of the overall target.

Public-private partnership (PPP) projects are expected to be launched on a large scale during this period.

In 2029-30, the city aims to complete the relocation of all 41,540 houses covered by the programme.

The total investment will come from multiple sources. Around 70 public-investment projects are expected to require VNĐ233 trillion, while approximately 45 PPP projects are projected to mobilise another VNĐ164 trillion.

The city also expects to generate about VNĐ90.3 trillion by auctioning public land and commercial land made available following the relocation. The proceeds will be used to reinvest in the urban improvement programme.

A survey showed that about 60 per cent of households subject to relocation are expected to receive compensation based on market prices and arrange their own accommodation.

The remaining 40 per cent, equivalent to about 15,285 houses or land plots, are expected to require resettlement support.

A major challenge is that many houses along canals and waterways were built on encroached land and therefore do not qualify for land compensation under existing regulations.

To address the issue, HCM City plans to apply a special mechanism and use its social housing stock to provide resettlement accommodation for affected households.

The programme is expected not only to clear houses encroaching on waterways but also to improve the surrounding urban landscape, expand transport and technical infrastructure, and create more public spaces along canals and rivers.

The relocation plan forms part of the city's broader efforts to improve living conditions in densely populated areas while restoring and upgrading the waterway system. — VNS