Proposal to adjust the method of calculating the population of apartment buildings.

VTV.vn - HoREA proposes adding a method for determining population based on the area of ​​an apartment of 32m2/person to increase the supply of affordable housing.

Proposal to add a method for determining population based on apartment area of ​​32m2/person.

The Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association (HoREA) has sent a document to the leaders of the City People's Committee and relevant departments and agencies, proposing amendments and additions to regulations on the method of determining the population in apartment buildings, in order to overcome the shortcomings that have arisen.

Accordingly, the primary application of a single method for determining population size, number, and structure of apartments in apartment projects has led to a housing product structure that does not truly match demand, increasing the proportion of large-sized apartments while limiting the availability of medium and small-sized apartments. HoREA proposes adding a more flexible method based on the usable area and room structure of each apartment type, while also linking it to the average housing area target according to the National Housing Development Strategy. This would facilitate the development of apartments with areas of approximately 25-70m², which are currently in high demand in the market. This would help to reduce supply-demand imbalances, increase liquidity, and stabilize housing prices.

HoREA assesses that the regulation on a single method for determining the population density in apartment buildings according to Decision No. 32/2025/QD-UBND will lead to a reduction in the number of medium-sized apartments (with 2 bedrooms and an area of ​​56-96 m²) and small apartments (with 1 bedroom and an area of ​​25-56 m²), while increasing the number of large apartments (with 3-4 bedrooms and an area of ​​96-160 m² or more); this could increase inventory and generate more bad real estate debt, similar to the period from 2011-2016.

According to HoREA, currently, about 60-70% of customers want to buy a 2-bedroom apartment with an area of ​​about 70 m² at a price of around 2-7 billion VND/unit; about 20-25% of customers want to buy a small apartment with an area of ​​around 50 m² at a price of around 3 billion VND/unit; and only about 5-10% of customers want to buy a large apartment with an area of ​​85-100 m² or more with 3-4 bedrooms, at a price of around 8-12 billion VND/unit.

"In the long run, implementing this regulation could not only reduce the incentive for private sector investment in the real estate sector but also waste social resources, including investment capital and land resources, which are finite resources that need to be used efficiently to contribute to achieving the double-digit growth target of Ho Chi Minh City and the whole country in 2026 and subsequent years," according to HoREA.

Furthermore, HoREA also believes that adding a method for determining the population of apartment buildings, as proposed by the Association, would be consistent with the current household sizes in large cities and similar to the management experience of some localities, such as Decision No. 34/2024/QD-UBND dated May 27, 2024, of the Hanoi People's Committee, which stipulates a maximum population of 5 people per apartment unit.

Source: https://vtv.vn/kien-nghi-dieu-chinh-cach-tinh-dan-so-chung-cu-100260505161517824.htm