Make full use of our capabilities and passion to develop social housing in the true sense of the word

The conference was held online nationwide between the Government Headquarters and the People's Committees of 63 provinces and centrally-run cities.

Implementing the Party and State's policies and guidelines on ensuring social security, including housing policies, the Government has approved the Project "Investing in the construction of at least 1 million social housing units for low-income earners and industrial park workers in the 2021-2030 period"; directing the implementation of a VND 120,000 billion credit package for social housing loans.

To date, the country has planned 1,316 land plots, with a scale of 8,611 hectares for social housing. From 2021 to 2023, 499 social housing projects will be implemented nationwide with a scale of more than 411,000 units.

Many localities have been active in attracting investment and promoting the construction of social housing such as: Bac Ninh province with 15 projects, 6,000 apartments; Bac Giang with 05 projects, 12,475 apartments; Hai Phong with 07 projects, 11,678 apartments; Binh Duong with 07 projects, 6,557 apartments; Dong Nai with 08 projects, 9,074 apartments; Binh Duong with 07 projects, 6,557 apartments; Thanh Hoa with 09 projects, 4,948 apartments...

However, in some key localities, although there is a huge demand for social housing, investment in social housing is still limited, such as: Hanoi 03 projects, 1,700 apartments meeting 9%; Ho Chi Minh City 07 projects, 4,996 apartments meeting 19%; Da Nang 05 projects, 2,750 apartments meeting 43%;... Some localities have no social housing projects starting construction in the period from 2021 to present.

In particular, the credit package of 120,000 billion VND for social housing loans, up to now, banks have committed to providing credit for 15 projects with an amount of about 7,000 billion VND, of which 08 social housing projects in 07 localities have been disbursed with a capital of about 640 billion VND.

At the conference, delegates focused on discussing and evaluating results, limitations, objective and subjective causes; proposing solutions to overcome difficulties and promote social housing development. In particular, reviewing policies, institutions; methods; planning, land allocation, and finance for social housing development.

The conference said that the procedures for investment in construction, determining conditions for purchasing, leasing, and renting social housing are still complicated and lengthy; the preferential policies for investors in social housing and worker housing projects that have been issued are not attractive enough.

Therefore, delegates proposed to specify policies on home ownership, purchase, and lease-purchase of social housing; clarify the concept of social housing, determine ownership and usage rights; clarify the responsibilities of entities participating in social housing development; subjects eligible to participate and enjoy incentives in social housing development policies; continue to perfect and specify the construction of a comprehensive and flexible policy framework for localities to apply appropriately; continue to cut and simplify administrative procedures; provide more specific regulations on investment output, categories and items eligible for incentives and support within the scope of social housing projects; policies on capital and tax support need to be more preferential...

In his concluding remarks at the Conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the enthusiastic, responsible and practical comments of ministries, branches, localities and enterprises; emphasizing that thanks to the leadership of the Party and State; the direction and administration of the Government and the Prime Minister, the participation and active involvement of the entire political system, all levels and branches, especially localities and enterprises, the whole country has completed hundreds of social housing and workers' housing projects, helping tens of thousands of low-income households and hundreds of thousands of workers improve their housing and have safe accommodation. However, the development of social housing has not been achieved compared to the goals, requirements and expectations and there are still some shortcomings and difficulties.

Emphasizing the viewpoints on developing social housing and housing for workers, the Prime Minister affirmed that social housing is normal housing like other types of housing, must ensure quality, safety, environmental sanitation, ensure infrastructure for health, education, social and other services, ensure electricity and water, but the difference is that there are appropriate mechanisms and policies for buyers and sellers. It is not that remote, deserted places, places that cannot build commercial housing should build social housing, or social housing lacks infrastructure for health, education, electricity and water, does not ensure environmental sanitation... Social housing must have rental and hire-purchase in addition to the form of purchase.

According to the Prime Minister, developing social housing and workers' housing is an important content of socio-economic development policies. Housing development, including social housing for low-income people and workers, is the responsibility of the State, society and the people. The State encourages economic sectors to develop social housing and workers' housing according to market mechanisms, and at the same time has policies to support housing for low-income urban people and industrial park workers in order to contribute to political stability and ensure social security. The spirit is "not to sacrifice progress and social justice to pursue economic growth alone".

The Head of Government stated that the development of social housing and workers' housing in localities must be linked to the development of the real estate market, in accordance with housing development programs and plans in each period and in compliance with laws, planning and plans approved by competent authorities, ensuring synchronization of technical and social infrastructure.

Regarding the key tasks and solutions in the coming time, the Prime Minister pointed out that in order to develop social housing, including quickly and effectively implementing the Project "Investing in the construction of at least 1 million social housing units for low-income people and industrial park workers in the period of 2021-2030", all relevant entities, each person and each organization, based on their functions, tasks and powers, must promote their full capacity, enthusiasm, the highest sense of responsibility, proactiveness, creativity, timeliness, combined with responsibility and social ethics to carry out the work well, join hands and contribute to creating a movement and trend for the development of social housing in the true sense.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh directed ministries and branches, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the State Bank to focus on developing and promptly promulgating Decrees and legal documents guiding the implementation of social housing projects such as: Housing Law (amended), Real Estate Business Law (amended), Land Law (amended), Law on Credit Institutions (amended). In particular, focusing on removing difficulties and obstacles in the spirit of minimizing administrative procedures, enhancing decentralization and delegation of authority to minimize time and costs for implementing social housing projects.

The Ministry of Construction is taking the lead in developing a process to simplify administrative procedures for selecting investors and implementing social housing projects to save time and encourage and mobilize social resources.

The State Bank has directed major state-owned commercial banks to join hands with businesses to research, develop and provide credit packages for buyers with a term of 10-15 years with interest rates 3-5% lower than commercial loans; research and consider lowering the lending interest rate for the VND120 trillion support capital source appropriately.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank to report to the Prime Minister on supplementing the state budget capital to implement social housing loans through the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies for the period 2024 - 2025 in accordance with the law on housing. The Ministry of Finance shall study the establishment of a Social Housing Fund and appropriate tax policies.

Localities register targets for social housing development in 2024; the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense strive to build 5,000 social housing apartments each in 2024; the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor strives to build 2,000 social housing apartments in 2024. The Government Office coordinates with the Ministry of Construction and localities to study the inclusion of social housing development targets and tasks into legal targets, and must report annually.

For localities, the Prime Minister requested that Party committees issue resolutions to lead the development of social housing, People's Councils issue policies and regulations suitable to local characteristics, People's Committees at all levels, especially district and commune levels, organize and strictly implement mechanisms, policies and regulations of the law, apply creatively, flexibly and promptly in local conditions, dare to take responsibility, dare to think, dare to do, do not push or avoid.

The Prime Minister reminded localities of the task of planning and allocating land funds to develop social housing and workers' housing; reminded that beautiful and advantageous lands and locations must be prioritized for production and business, thereby creating jobs for people, from which people will come to work, and when people come to work, people will come to live, buy houses, and develop real estate and sustainable urban areas.

At the same time, organize auctions and bidding to select investors with potential, finance, and experience, implement publicly and transparently, and increase the deposit and guarantee ratio to ensure the selection of investors with good potential. Urge investors of commercial housing projects and urban areas to invest in building social housing on 20% of the land fund of these projects according to the approved schedule; in case the investor fails to implement, the 20% land fund will be recovered to select other investors to implement.

Along with that, there are specific mechanisms and solutions to shorten administrative procedures on project establishment, approval, land allocation, land lease, site clearance, construction investment procedures, etc. to support and encourage businesses to invest in construction projects, create supply for the market and take advantage of preferential capital sources for social housing development.

For businesses, the Prime Minister requested that investors of social housing projects establish schedules, prepare adequate resources and finances, and apply new technology to shorten construction time.

For projects that have selected investors, investors are requested to promptly complete legal procedures to start construction according to approved planning projects and investment policies; promptly start construction, ensuring the progress of completing works on the 20% land fund for social housing; after starting the project, it is necessary to quickly provide, publicly announce, and fully provide information related to the project so that people know how to register to buy, lease-purchase, or rent.

Enterprises and banks must fulfill their obligations and responsibilities according to the law, while demonstrating social responsibility and business ethics to conduct social housing business in accordance with the situation and conditions of the people and pay attention to their difficult conditions, especially those with meritorious services, social protection beneficiaries, the poor, workers lacking housing, etc.

The spirit is harmonious benefits, shared risks, the Prime Minister suggested, people must also be responsible for exercising their rights and obligations in accessing housing, trying their best under possible conditions, the spirit is that no one can take care of you better than you, along with policies and support from the State and the community...

The Prime Minister requested that provinces and centrally run cities be determined to achieve the targets and quantity of social housing in 2024 as compiled by the Ministry of Construction. Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities are responsible to the Government for completing the targets of social housing construction in their localities. The Ministry of Construction regularly inspects, urges, and promptly removes difficulties and obstacles so that localities can complete the set targets.

The Prime Minister emphasized that in 2025, provinces and centrally run cities must urgently develop plans, targets, and specific numbers for social housing construction in 2025 and the 2026-2030 period, and send them to the Ministry of Construction for synthesis and reporting to the Prime Minister before November 30, 2024.

The Prime Minister requested that immediately after this Conference, the Ministry of Construction and the Government Office synthesize and absorb all opinions; promptly submit and issue the Prime Minister's Conclusion, which is concise with clear, specific, easy-to-understand, easy-to-implement, easy-to-monitor, evaluate, inspect, and easy-to-propagate messages, tasks, and solutions, focusing on key and focal issues.

Ministries, sectors and localities should absorb opinions at the Conference, proactively develop goals, tasks and solutions to effectively implement social housing development policies; accompany and provide substantial and effective support to businesses, low-income earners, workers and laborers in industrial parks and export processing zones.