Untangling the land ownership certificate bottleneck to provide a place for the poor to live.

TPO - In the red basalt soil region of Di Linh district (Lam Dong province), where more than 42% of the population are ethnic minorities, the journey to eliminate temporary housing is not just about building new walls, but also about resolving legal obstacles so that people can build houses on their own land.

A house less than 60 square meters, and great faith.

Amidst the rubble and concrete pillars, Mr. K'Tôs (52 years old, Kao Kuil village, Dinh Lac commune, Di Linh district) smiles as he watches his house gradually take shape. The house, less than 60 square meters, is enough for him, his wife, and seven children to no longer have to shelter from the rain with a tattered tarp.

"I'm so happy. Now that we have a house, I feel much more at ease. Now I just hope my children can get a proper education," he said, his eyes shining with hope.

The house belonging to Mr. K'Tôs's family is expected to be ready for occupancy by the end of May.

Previously, Mr. K'Tôs owned 8 sao (approximately 0.8 hectares) of coffee plantations, but he divided them among his children according to custom. With no land to cultivate, he works as a hired laborer, earning a few hundred thousand dong a day. His family lives frugally to support their children's education. The new house was built with a 100 million dong loan from the Social Policy Bank – a decision he had to consider for a long time.

"Living in a makeshift shack, with leaks everywhere, how could we even think about the long term? Only when we have a house can we dare to dream about the future," he shared.

The house where Mr. K'Tôs's family currently lives is home to 9 people.

Not far from Mr. K'Tôs's house, Ms. K'Hes (30 years old, Secretary of the Youth Union branch in Duệ village) was washing vegetables while talking about her new roof, which was built more than 4 months ago. Before, the whole family of four crowded into a dilapidated old house, and during the rainy season they had to constantly watch over the water with buckets because it leaked from all sides.

"Thanks to the commune helping us get the land title deed for free, and the district providing an additional 60 million VND, we were able to build a new house. The children have a place to play, and my husband and I are much less worried," she said, her hands still busily working on the newly installed stainless steel water tank.

K'Hes's family home is also being built in a hurry.

The bottleneck is… legal.

According to Mr. Vu Duc Nhuan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Di Linh district, in 2024, the entire district built and renovated nearly 300 houses for poor, near-poor, and policy beneficiary families. However, behind these houses are many untold stories, especially regarding land legal issues.

"Many poor and near-poor households own land but do not have land ownership certificates because the land was given to them by their parents or relatives, and has not been subdivided or had its land use purpose changed. Without a certificate, they cannot build houses legally, and even less can they access housing support packages under government policies," Mr. Nhuan explained.

By 2025, Di Linh district aims to complete the construction or renovation of 102 houses for disadvantaged people.

Adding to the difficulties, near-poor households are not exempt from land-use conversion fees, making the process of legalizing their residential land even more challenging. Faced with this situation, the Steering Committee for Eliminating Temporary and Dilapidated Houses in Di Linh District has proactively sought solutions.

In addition to central and provincial funding, Di Linh district also allocates funds from social mobilization efforts to support people in obtaining land ownership certificates. Each household receives 10-15 million VND to cover administrative procedures such as land subdivision, land use conversion, and legalization of land and house ownership documents.

"Only with land ownership certificates will people be eligible to participate in the housing support program. Removing the legal bottleneck will prevent the process of eliminating temporary housing from being left unfinished," Mr. Nhuan emphasized.

In 2025, Di Linh district aims to complete the construction or renovation of 102 houses for disadvantaged people, with over 60% already started. The goal is to complete all projects before June 2025 - the time when the district transitions to a two-tiered government model.

The journey to help the poor have sturdy roofs over their heads, therefore, requires not only bricks and bags of cement, but also flexible and empathetic policies from the government to ensure that no one is left behind on their path to stable housing and a better life.

From the beginning of 2025 to May 6th, Lam Dong province completed support for the construction and repair of 509 houses. In total, the province has completed the construction and repair of 1,399 houses (1,088 new houses and 311 repairs), with a total cost of over 63.3 billion VND. Currently, three localities have completed the support for eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses: Bao Loc City, Lac Duong District, and Bao Lam District. The remaining localities are accelerating the implementation progress, aiming to complete the set plan.

Thai Lam

Source: https://tienphong.vn/go-nut-that-so-do-de-dan-ngheo-co-chon-an-cu-post1743850.tpo