Minimize the procedures for implementing social housing projects

The above is the request of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha at the national online meeting on the draft Decree on management and development of social housing, on the morning of May 27, at the Government Headquarters.

Mobilizing resources for social housing development

At the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha stated that the development of decrees providing detailed guidance on the implementation of the 2024 Land Law, the 2023 Housing Law, and the 2023 Real Estate Business Law are all very important because they relate to people, businesses, and state management at the central and local levels. Therefore, ministries, branches, localities, experts, business associations, etc. should directly contribute their opinions and complete them according to the strictest procedures so that when the decrees are issued and the laws are implemented, there will be no problems or difficulties.

Regarding some specific issues, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Construction to coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank to study the mechanism for mobilizing and using resources for social housing development in a unified and concentrated manner. In which, the State plays a leading role; along with that is the source of money contributed to social housing development from investors of commercial housing projects and other social sources, not to burden commercial banks when participating in preferential credit packages for social housing.

The Decree needs to have additional policy-based, long-term regulations on planning and land allocation in urban and rural development, and allocate the State budget in combination with other sources for social housing projects.

The Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Construction to coordinate with ministries and branches to review and minimize the procedures for implementing social housing projects; simplify criteria for determining subjects as well as conditions and procedures for renting and buying social housing.

In addition, the Ministry of Construction clarifies criteria for social housing, encourages private enterprises to invest in social housing projects; forms a post-audit mechanism in inspecting and examining social housing projects; supplements regulations on converting land funds or resettlement housing projects to social housing...

Regarding the regulation that in the case of selling social housing which is individual housing (built in communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas) land use fees must be paid, the Deputy Prime Minister requested consideration, calculation, and specific regulations to ensure the rights of ethnic minorities and people in difficult areas.

Regarding regulations on stages of social housing investment projects and housing for armed forces, the Deputy Prime Minister requested that there be 'no separate regulations' to ensure equality among subjects receiving social housing support; at the same time, decentralization to localities, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, etc.

Clarifying preferential credit policies

According to the report of the Ministry of Construction, the draft Decree consists of 7 chapters and 78 articles to provide detailed guidance on 18 contents of the 2023 Housing Law related to social housing policy.

Accordingly, the decree inherits current regulations that are still being effectively implemented, while institutionalizing new and breakthrough policies and strategies to overcome difficulties and obstacles in the implementation of social housing support policies in recent times.

Opinions at the meeting discussed and agreed on the regulation that land use fees are calculated at the time the project investor resells social housing after 10 years of leasing; buyers of social housing in the form of apartments can sell after 5 years and do not have to pay land use fees.

Regarding the contents related to the development of social housing by investors of commercial housing projects, delegates proposed allowing investors to propose the implementation method of reserving a part of the area, arranging alternative land funds or paying money equivalent to the value of the land fund invested in building technical infrastructure to build social housing with a minimum rate of 20%.

At the meeting, Vice Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Duong Duc Tuan proposed to clearly state the amount of money that the investor of the commercial housing project pays into the budget equivalent to the value of the land fund invested in building technical infrastructure to build social housing, which is only used for developing social housing.

Similarly, Vice Chairman of Quang Binh Provincial People's Committee Phan Phong Phu proposed adding content to encourage commercial housing investors in urban development projects to allocate funds to invest in building social housing on allocated land instead of paying money into the budget.

Some opinions suggested clarifying preferential credit policies; area and land use coefficient for individual social housing; appraisal responsibility of state management agencies for the obligation to build social housing of investors in commercial housing projects; land allocation in industrial parks for workers' accommodation...