Moreover, in their daily lives, the residents here live in constant fear that their dilapidated houses could collapse at any moment; having a peaceful and safe home has been a long-awaited dream for these families for decades.
Old, dilapidated, and dark.
Located right on Hoang Van Thu Street – one of the busiest streets in Nam Dinh ward – the entrance to the apartment complex at alley 207 is barely wide enough for one person to push a bicycle, and pitch black. The staircase, dimly lit even at midday, is haphazardly constructed from rusty iron bars; the walls are stained, smoke-stained, and crisscrossed with electrical wires and water pipes… On the second floor, dozens of wooden beams and rafters are erected to prevent the third floor from collapsing. Each room, about 20 square meters, is reinforced with a variety of materials such as plastic tarpaulins and plywood… all peeling, old, and rusty.
Ms. Pham Thi Dung, one of the dozens of residents living here, said: "We have lived here for nearly 50 years. Initially, there were six of us in the family. Now, both parents have passed away, and my two younger brothers have settled in other provinces. Currently, only my sister and I remain here, as we haven't started our own families. The houses are in a very dilapidated state. They are damp on normal days and leak whenever it rains. Especially in recent years, every rainy season, the whole area has to be evacuated for fear of the houses collapsing."
Mr. Vu Ngoc Oanh, also residing here, said: "Because our housing area was built a long time ago and is severely dilapidated, it floods every time it rains. If there's a storm, it could collapse at any time. Therefore, to ensure the safety of our lives and property, we always have to move to a safe place. We sincerely hope that the authorities will pay attention and create conditions for us to have a new, safe place to live so that we can live in peace."
Unlike the apartment complex at alley 207, Hoang Van Thu Street, the five-story apartment building located right near Tran Dang Ninh Street is a nightmare for residents whenever they pass by. The building stands tall with peeling paint revealing gray bricks, along with a tangled mess of electrical and water pipes, rusty iron bars, and corrugated iron roofing; the apartments are only about 15 square meters, dark and cramped; the walls and ceilings are dilapidated and cracked, and many households share a bathroom.
Visiting the apartment of 86-year-old Mr. Mai Duc Duoc, currently living on the 5th floor of this building, we witnessed the harsh living conditions of the residents. Against the wall next to the hallway and entrance was an old bed – the shared sleeping place of Mr. Duoc and his son; opposite was another bed, covered with a plastic sheet to serve as a cooking area, cluttered with a gas stove, pots, pans, dishes, and bottles; adjacent to this "kitchen area" was a small bed for Mr. Duoc's wife to rest on; all within a mere 16 square meters.
Right downstairs, 81-year-old Pham Thi Lan is also living alone in a similarly cramped and dilapidated room. Pointing to a cracked corner near the ceiling, she said that a few days ago she called a repairman, but because the house was too old and only needed minor repairs, the repairman refused to do it.
Tired of waiting
According to statistics, there are currently 27 old state-owned apartment buildings in Nam Dinh Ward; of which, buildings No. 181 and 207 on Hoang Van Thu Street are classified as dangerous level D (requiring urgent demolition and relocation), while the remaining old apartment buildings are classified as dangerous level C. The majority of residents are poor laborers, with an average age of overwork; many households do not have rental contracts, only handwritten purchase and transfer documents.
According to Pham Hong Thai, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Dinh Ward, Ninh Binh Province: Currently, there are 462 households with over 1,000 residents in unsafe housing areas in Nam Dinh Ward. Every time a storm approaches, the People's Committee of the ward has to develop evacuation plans, arrange temporary accommodation for residents at some local offices, health stations, and schools, and deploy functional forces to ensure security and order for the residents until the storm passes.
Immediately after the merger of the new Ninh Binh province, the Provincial People's Committee directed relevant provincial agencies to coordinate with the ward authorities to implement a plan for handling old housing belonging to public assets. Regarding the two apartment complexes at alleys 181 and 207 on Hoang Van Thu Street (classified as dangerous), the Provincial People's Committee directed relevant agencies to survey and assess the support needs of the households; research and propose locations, sites, and resettlement plans for the households; currently, the ward authorities are coordinating with provincial agencies to implement the necessary steps according to regulations, said the Chairman of the Nam Dinh Ward People's Committee.
On October 11th, during an on-site inspection of old apartment buildings in Nam Dinh Ward, Ninh Binh Provincial Party Secretary Dang Xuan Phong requested the Department of Construction to coordinate with Nam Dinh Ward and relevant agencies to regularly publicize, warn, and disseminate information about the dangers of these old apartment buildings so that residents are aware; assigned the Department of Construction as the lead agency to coordinate with Nam Dinh Ward and relevant agencies to review and develop specific plans to report and advise the Provincial Party Committee, Provincial People's Council, and Provincial People's Committee on solutions; and requested Nam Dinh Ward to proactively develop plans to relocate residents living in dangerous old apartment buildings when the weather changes unexpectedly, ensuring the absolute safety of people's lives and property.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/nguoi-dan-ninh-binh-mong-co-chon-an-cu-20251023144955465.htm
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