Bac Ninh: Tightening the approval process to ensure social housing reaches the right target groups.

Mr. Nguyen Huy Chuyen, Head of the Housing and Real Estate Market Management Department (Department of Construction), said that after assessing the actual situation and receiving feedback from the public regarding the purchase of social housing by ineligible individuals, and even signs of policy abuse, the Department of Construction has coordinated inspections and investigations.

In the spirit of resolutely ensuring the correct implementation of the law, the Department strictly handles cases of violations. For cases where individuals are found to have purchased social housing without proper eligibility, the Department has closely coordinated with relevant agencies to apply measures such as: requiring the investor to remove the name from the contract, cancel the agreement, and reclaim the housing; the Department of Agriculture and Environment coordinating the revocation of the ownership certificate; and the Social Policy Bank canceling the loan agreement and recovering the housing loan.

The Department of Construction has canceled contracts for many apartments in the social housing area for workers in the new urban area of Nenh town, formerly Viet Yen district, now Nenh ward.

As a result, many violations have been strictly dealt with. From 2022 to the present, through post-inspection work, the Department has canceled contracts for the purchase of ineligible houses in several projects such as: the low-income housing complex in Bac Tu Son, Dong Nguyen ward (contracts canceled, 54 apartments reclaimed); the social housing area in Tan Hong ward (contracts canceled, 7 apartments reclaimed), now Tu Son ward; the social housing area in Khac Niem ward (now Hap Linh ward) (contracts canceled, 9 apartments reclaimed); the social housing area for workers at lots CT1 and CT2 in the new urban area of Nenh town, Viet Yen district (formerly), now Nenh ward (95 contracts canceled)...

In particular, the disqualification cases were mainly due to duplicate project purchases; dishonest declarations, or signs of falsified information. These measures have initially contributed to restoring order in management and protecting the rights of those who truly need support.

To address the issue of buying and using social housing for ineligible individuals, the Department of Construction has been implementing a comprehensive set of fundamental and decisive solutions. Public awareness campaigns have been intensified to enhance the understanding and responsibility of investors, organizations, and individuals involved.

The procedures, regulations, and policies regarding the eligibility assessment, management sanctions for social housing, and the list of approved individuals will be publicly and transparently posted on the electronic portal for public oversight.

Officials at the Bac Ninh Land Registration Office No. 1 review applications for land ownership confirmation for the purchase of social housing.

The entire review process is strictly enforced according to the Housing Law of 2023 and Government Decree 100/2024/ND-CP. The People's Committee at the commune level, the commune-level police, and other agencies and businesses must conduct thorough assessments and verifications when signing off on the confirmation and are held accountable under the law.

Investors are not allowed to accept applications through brokers or intermediaries; they must thoroughly check each application, rejecting those who are ineligible or do not meet the criteria. A key focus is on promoting digitalization. The Department of Construction is building a database on social housing beneficiaries, coordinating and integrating it with population, land, tax, and insurance data, moving towards fully online application processing to prevent corruption.

Inspection and monitoring activities will be strengthened. In 2026, the Department of Construction, the Provincial Inspectorate, and the People's Committees at the commune level will proactively develop plans to inspect the buying and selling of social housing. Cases of collecting reservation fees, improperly compiling applications, or incorrect approval processes will be strictly handled according to Government Decree 16/2022/ND-CP; if there are signs of fraud or abuse of the policy, the case will be transferred to the investigative agency for criminal prosecution. The management and use of social housing will be carried out regularly, combining data on electricity, water, and residency to detect illegal rentals. Violations of registering residency for ineligible individuals will be dealt with, and illegally occupied housing will be confiscated.

Furthermore, the Department of Construction continues to advise the Provincial People's Committee on reviewing and improving social housing policies to suit local characteristics; and simultaneously proposes to the Ministry of Construction to amend the Housing Law, such as removing the regulation allowing the commercial sale of social housing after 5 years, and adding sanctions for buyers who do not live in the houses but rent them out instead. These solutions aim to build a transparent and fair environment, creating real opportunities for disadvantaged people to own homes in the province.

Reportedly, Bac Ninh is implementing a series of social housing projects to help the poor, low-income earners, and workers settle down and build stable lives.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, General Secretary of the Provincial Real Estate Association, the decisive actions of the Bac Ninh provincial authorities in recent times show a genuine shift in management. This means not only "managing on paper" but also closely monitoring the situation, listening to public opinion, and resolving issues.

Along with the above solutions, the challenge for the next phase is not only to continue handling cases of violations, but also to standardize a model for distributing social housing, gradually separating it from the purely commercial product sales mindset. Therefore, it is necessary to both take strong action against contracts that are not for the intended beneficiaries and to pioneer the development of a mechanism for regularly receiving requests, a database of people in need of housing linked to a transparent, digitized distribution process from start to finish. Only then can we transform today's repossession stories into the beginning of a healthy and fair social housing market in the future.

Economic Reporters Group

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/bac-ninh-ngan-chan-vi-pham-bao-dam-nha-o-xa-hoi-den-dung-doi-tuong-postid433025.bbg