The effectiveness of decentralization and delegation.

Delegating multiple tasks

Like other districts in Hanoi , Dong Da district has been focusing its efforts on accelerating the renovation of old apartment buildings. To accomplish this key task, the Head of the District Urban Management Department, Truong Minh Quang, stated that one of the crucial factors contributing to the renovation and reconstruction of old apartment buildings is the city's continuous strengthening of decentralization and delegation of authority to local governments.

An old apartment building on Ngoc Khanh Street, Ba Dinh District. Photo by Hai Linh.

In this regard, depending on the specific characteristics of each location, area, and district, the districts and counties will proactively apply programs and solutions, as well as proactively review the plan for renovating and rebuilding old apartment buildings and adjust it to suit the reality. In addition, localities will also focus on implementing other plans already set out to ensure the overall progress according to the City's plan.

According to Mr. Truong Minh Quang, the outstanding advantage of the strong decentralization and delegation of authority from the city is the increased proactiveness of districts and communes in areas ranging from planning and verification to compensation, selection of compensation coefficients (K coefficient), and issues related to the allocation of capital and funding for local implementation. Thanks to this, Dong Da district has achieved some relatively important initial results. Specifically, regarding planning, the District People's Committee has completed the detailed planning task at a scale of 1/500 for the renovation of three residential areas: Trung Tu, Kim Lien, and Khuong Thuong, and has compiled and submitted it to the Department of Planning and Architecture for appraisal in April 2024.

"After the Department of Planning and Architecture appraises and the Hanoi People's Committee approves the planning task for the renovation of the three Trung Tu, Kim Lien, and Khuong Thuong residential areas, the District People's Committee will finalize the planning project to continue publicly soliciting community opinions and complete the report for the City's consideration and approval according to regulations," Mr. Truong Minh Quang informed.

For the inspection work, the District People's Committee printed 5,000 documents (in leaflet format) summarizing regulations and legal policies in an easy-to-remember and easy-to-understand manner for the wards to distribute to households; publicly disclosed the entire system of legal documents, information, and land use planning maps and urban zoning plans of the district and wards on the district and ward's electronic information portals (websites); and coordinated with the Department of Housing and Real Estate Market Management ( Ministry of Construction ), the Department of Construction, and the Department of Planning and Architecture to organize training and propaganda conferences in 100% of residential areas in the district.

As a result, based on the total number of houses assigned by the city to the Dong Da District People's Committee, 131 houses have been inspected so far. For the remaining houses that have not yet been inspected, the District People's Committee has compiled a report for the Hanoi City People's Committee and the Department of Construction to develop a plan for the district to organize the inspection in the near future.

Regarding the renovation of the dangerous apartment building at 51 Huynh Thuc Khang (level D), the district is coordinating with the Department of Construction and other relevant departments and agencies to finalize the compensation, support, and resettlement plan.

In addition, following guidance from the Department of Construction and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the District People's Committee has submitted a report to the City People's Committee for consideration and approval of the selling price of old state-owned housing units currently being leased (with 42 apartments at 51 Huynh Thuc Khang Street) as a basis for finalizing and approving the compensation, support, and resettlement plan.

"After approval from the city and relevant departments, the People's Committee of Dong Da District will approve the compensation, support, and resettlement plan and publicly announce it, then proceed with the next steps..." - said Mr. Truong Minh Quang.

A specific mechanism is needed.

Like most old apartment complexes in the city, some subdivided plots in old apartment complexes in Dong Da district have been renovated by landowners into solid residential buildings of 3 to 5 stories, providing stable living conditions. However, in other apartment blocks, residents have independently expanded and renovated their buildings, detracting from the urban landscape. Furthermore, due to a lack of regular maintenance, the urban infrastructure has deteriorated, leading to serious damage to many buildings, some severely damaged and posing a danger to those living inside.

Ms. Ha Thi Dung, residing in Room P116, Building C4, Kim Lien residential complex, stated that the building where her family lives is severely dilapidated, with many cracks and peeling paint on the ceiling and surrounding walls. To facilitate daily life, the family had to install a plastic ceiling, but this still doesn't prevent water from constantly leaking onto the floor.

Besides the constant worry about deterioration, building C4 is also frequently flooded, and a strong, foul odor emanates from the building's septic tank. "More concerning is that during storms, we fear that the balconies and water tanks on the upper floors could fall at any moment. Therefore, residents here hope that the relevant authorities will consider and expedite the renovation of the old apartment building so that people can soon have a safe and stable place to live," said Ms. Ha Thi Dung.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lien, Party Secretary and Head of the C4 residential group, shared that the residential group regularly coordinates with the Steering Committee for the renovation and reconstruction of old apartment buildings in Dong Da district and Kim Lien ward to promote awareness among residents. In particular, after the preliminary detailed planning drawings at a scale of 1/500 were available, the residential group publicly displayed and posted them on bulletin boards in the buildings and residential areas so that residents could be aware of them, support them, and contribute ideas to finalize the plan.

According to Nguyen Quang Son, Vice Chairman of the Kim Lien Ward People's Committee, old apartment complexes account for the majority of the area and population in the ward. Specifically, out of a total of 16 residential groups in the ward, 13 groups, with approximately 16,000 people, are residents living in old apartment complexes.

It is noteworthy that the apartment buildings constructed from the 1960s to the present day have all deteriorated, with three buildings (C1, C2, and C13) currently classified as level C according to assessments by relevant authorities. Following the directives of the Hanoi People's Committee and the Dong Da District People's Committee regarding the renovation and reconstruction of old apartment buildings, the Party Committee and People's Committee of Kim Lien Ward have established a Steering Committee and developed plans for publicizing, disseminating, and promoting the city's and district's policies, projects, and plans to each household.

It is known that in the old apartment buildings in Dong Da district, the current population exceeds the population targets stipulated in the zoning plan's planning zones. Furthermore, the building height limit according to the H1-3 zoning plan is insufficient for investors to balance their capital, thus failing to attract investors interested in renovating and rebuilding these old apartment buildings.

"Therefore, the local authorities hope that the Hanoi People's Committee and the Central Government will consider resolving difficulties, especially establishing a specific mechanism for the renovation of apartment buildings in Hanoi in general and Dong Da district in particular, after the Capital City Law has been passed by the National Assembly . Specifically, they hope for consideration in resolving obstacles related to population density, building height limits, and the development of a specific support mechanism for investors interested in participating in the renovation of old apartment buildings in historical inner-city districts such as Dong Da and Ba Dinh..." - the Head of the Urban Management Department of Dong Da District expressed.

 

Dong Da District currently has the largest volume of old apartment buildings in the city in terms of both inspection and planning. Specifically, there are 20 old apartment complexes in the district, including 12 concentrated complexes and 8 individual complexes, comprising 507 old apartment buildings constructed between 1960-1970 and around the early 1990s, located in 21 wards, with approximately 20,013 apartments.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/hieu-qua-tu-phan-cap-uy-quyen.html