Social housing is difficult to buy.

VTV.vn - For many low-income earners and workers in large cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the dream of having a home – a real home – is not easy to achieve.

Social housing is expected to be a gateway of hope for millions of middle- and low-income people in urban areas and industrial zones. However, barriers such as supply, price, interest rates, access to loans, and even scams and brokers are gradually causing them to lose hope of achieving their dreams.

Ms. Bui Thi Hue and her husband (Lang Ward, Hanoi ) have been making a living in Hanoi for over 20 years running a small beverage stall. Their family of four lives in a rented house measuring only 30 square meters. Therefore, the dream of owning their own home is something Ms. Hue has long awaited and tried to achieve. However, now, this hope is gradually fading away for them.

As of the end of October, there were 696 social housing projects underway nationwide, comprising nearly 640,000 units.

In the text messages exchanged between prospective social housing buyers like Ms. Hue and the brokers, the brokers provided detailed instructions on how to deposit 15 million VND for the application, 100 million VND for the purchase slot, and a total of 400 million VND including the markup... And most importantly, regarding the procedures for land registration, the brokers emphasized that buyers would find it difficult or impossible to complete them in time.

In reality, many people, due to fear of bureaucratic procedures and long queues, have resorted to buying houses through brokers and intermediaries. Even families with genuine housing needs, like Ms. Hue's, have given up because they cannot access social housing projects.

Demand is huge, yet the number of projects for this type of real estate remains limited, especially in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Even after implementation, some projects have selling prices ranging from 20-30 million VND/m2, and while buyers can access loans for 50% of the property value, monthly installments and living expenses still become a significant burden.

Since 2005, the concept of "social housing" was first included in the Housing Law, shaping housing policies for low-income earners. However, after nearly two decades, owning social housing in major cities remains a difficult problem and unaffordable for those with genuine needs.

Source: https://vtv.vn/nha-o-xa-hoi-kho-mua-100251115200746919.htm