Don't let workers' dream of owning a house remain just a dream.

On the morning of May 24, continuing the program of the 9th Session, the National Assembly discussed in the hall the draft Resolution on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of social housing. Two voices from practice by delegate Nguyen Hoang Bao Tran ( Binh Duong Delegation) and delegate Tran Quoc Tuan (Tra Vinh Delegation) brought a message and aspiration of millions of workers living in cramped rented accommodation, low income, longing for a true place to return to.

Recommendations from worker practice

Opening her speech, delegate Nguyen Hoang Bao Tran spoke on behalf of millions of low-income workers to the National Assembly : “ We, the workers, have very simple thoughts: to live, work, have a family and a small house to settle down, work with peace of mind, raise children and take care of our parents. Even though it is as simple as that, it is our dream, because the reality is that wages do not increase but housing prices and consumer prices keep increasing continuously.”

Delegate Nguyen Hoang Bao Tran (National Assembly Delegation of Binh Duong Province). Photo: Office of the National Assembly

She emphasized that, although the Housing Law has been issued and many social housing support policies have been implemented, with an income of just over VND10 million/month, workers still have to face living expenses, tuition, hospital fees, electricity and water, rent and are not eligible for additional loans to buy a house. " The price of houses, even though they are called social housing, is still far beyond the ability of workers, and the criteria, processes, and regulations for approval are not for people with our income level," she said.

Delegate Tran said that the pilot resolution should set out practical requirements and build a practical support mechanism so that low-income people can access social housing. She proposed establishing a National Housing Fund at the central and local levels, expanding revenue sources from the budget and socialization, including a provision to allocate at least 50% from the amount equivalent to the value of the land fund invested in technical infrastructure.

However, she pointed out many unclear points, such as not specifically determining the minimum allocation rate from the annual development investment expenditure of the state budget: " I respectfully propose that the National Assembly and the drafting agency consider adding regulations that the annual state budget, both central and local, must allocate at least 1-2% of total development investment expenditure to form and operate the national housing fund."

At the same time, it is necessary to stipulate the responsibility for contributions between the central and local governments according to the ratio of working population, the current social housing situation and actual needs. She also suggested classifying localities into groups with high, medium and low needs to avoid spreading resources.

Another notable proposal is to set a ceiling or floor price for social housing in each area. “ Without regulations, workers may continue to fall into a situation where social housing is unattainable because prices still far exceed incomes,” she warned. Finally, she suggested determining the size of the fund and specific support targets to ensure the ability to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the policy.

“ We do not need a luxury apartment, a house with full amenities, but only want to have a decent place to rest, play with our children after hard working hours, at a reasonable price to rent, to rent or own within our means,... Please do not let the dream of having a house for workers remain just a dream”, Ms. Tran said and emphasized that these are the words shared and sent by voters who are low-income workers to the National Assembly delegates for reflection, sympathy and sharing.

Need interest-free installment policy and dual mechanism

Delegate Tran Quoc Tuan ( Tra Vinh ) approached the resolution from the perspective of local reality, affirming that the demand for social housing is very large, especially in urban areas and industrial zones. He pointed out 4 major shortcomings: People have real needs but find it difficult to access loans; businesses are afraid to invest due to unstable output; planning, land funds and administrative procedures are not synchronized; new policies only support businesses, not paying due attention to buyers.

Delegate Tran Quoc Tuan (National Assembly Delegation of Tra Vinh province). Photo: Office of the National Assembly

He gave a specific example: “ A social housing buyer can borrow 500 million VND with an interest rate of 4.8% for 25 years, then has to pay 3.7 million VND per month, of which 2 million VND is interest. With a salary of 8 million VND, a worker only has more than 4 million left to cover all living expenses .”

From there, he proposed building a dual policy package: One is long-term preferential loans, interest rate subsidies or rental price support; two is an interest-free installment payment policy for the first 3-5 years, the rest is paid in installments over 10-15 years, paying 10-30% of the apartment value in advance, using the apartment as collateral and committing to not transferring it for 5 years.

He proposed that the funding for the policy should come from the National Housing Fund, through the Social Policy Bank or designated financial institutions. He also emphasized the need to allocate at least 30-50% of the fund to directly support people to buy houses. In particular, it is necessary to establish an independent fund management board with representatives of the State, trade unions, experts and people to ensure transparency and efficiency.

“To develop a sustainable social housing market, we must not only stimulate supply but also stimulate demand with practical, humane and feasible policies,” he said. “People are not only the ones being served but also the ones who create the market, create trust and create motivation for the whole system.”

The two speeches at the conference touched the hearts of millions of workers, not only calling for humane policies but also creating a system of mechanisms that can operate effectively.

On the morning of May 24, the National Assembly discussed in the hall the draft Resolution of the National Assembly on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of social housing. At the discussion session, 18 National Assembly deputies expressed their opinions. The majority of deputies highly appreciated and agreed with many contents of the draft Resolution. In addition, deputies focused on discussing: Scope of regulation; subjects of application; National Housing Fund; assigning investors, approving investment policies and assigning investors without bidding for social housing construction investment projects.

Hoang Nhuong

Source: https://congthuong.vn/dung-de-giac-mo-co-nha-cua-cong-nhan-mai-chi-la-mo-389111.html