Phan Thiet: Reaching the finish line in the journey to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses.

By the end of May 2025, Phan Thiet City had completed its target of eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses, becoming the first locality in the province to "reach the finish line" in implementing this major policy. The result is not only the new, spacious houses that bring hope and confidence to households once struggling, but also the determination of the government and the entire political system.

"I was so happy I couldn't sleep for several nights."

A spacious 50m² single-story house with brick walls, a corrugated iron roof, and tiled floors is the new home of Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Quyen, a poor household in Ward 4, Ham Tien Commune. Having lived for many years in a makeshift house, having to use buckets to catch rainwater during the rainy season, she was moved to tears on the day she received her new home: “I never thought I would one day live in a newly built house, without fear of leaks or drafts. Many nights I couldn’t sleep thinking about how happy I was.”

Mrs. Quyen's spacious house.

Her house was built with a budget of 138 million VND, of which the "For the Poor" Fund of the province and Phan Thiet city contributed 100 million VND, and the rest was raised by the Fatherland Front Committee and the Steering Committee of Ham Tien ward from benefactors. Her family also received additional support in terms of labor and many essential items on the handover day. On the handover day, city and local officials came to encourage her to continue striving for a better life.

Not only Ms. Quyen, but also Ms. Tran Thi Anh (Ward 4, Xuan An neighborhood) moved many people. She single-handedly raised two sick children and was approved for housing assistance. However, during construction, her old house's walls deteriorated and completely collapsed. The city quickly adjusted the plan, including her in the list for new construction. “I never imagined that despite the difficulties, the authorities wouldn't give up and would wholeheartedly help so that today my children and I can live in a new house,” Ms. Anh said emotionally. When the first inspection team from the Provincial and City Steering Committee for the Elimination of Temporary and Dilapidated Houses came to check the construction progress, Ms. Anh boldly shared her wish to have additional facilities such as a bathroom and toilet. The Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee, Mr. Nguyen Nam Long, who accompanied them, acknowledged her request and affirmed that they would find ways to provide further support to the family.

The provincial inspection team met with the Phan Thiet City Party Committee to discuss the progress of the program.

Closely monitor progress and ensure construction is carried out "solidly and durably".

Following the directives of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, the Phan Thiet City Party Standing Committee established the Steering Committee for the elimination of temporary and dilapidated houses in Phan Thiet City (City Steering Committee), setting out clear operating regulations and assigning specific responsibilities to each member. Fifteen wards and communes also established grassroots-level Steering Committees, going door-to-door to thoroughly review eligible recipients. The City Steering Committee directed local authorities to carefully review eligible cases, ensuring transparency and accuracy in identifying eligible recipients. During the review process, households facing genuine housing difficulties were proposed for inclusion in the list. The city launched a campaign to promote the "Joining Hands to Eliminate Temporary and Dilapidated Houses" movement with the coordinated participation of the entire political system. In two campaigns, the city mobilized nearly 700 million VND from contributions by residents, businesses, organizations, and benevolent individuals in the area. The government, the Fatherland Front, and mass organizations not only contributed labor and resources but also directly supervised construction alongside the people to ensure the quality of each house. For example, Binh Hung ward had 19 houses needing rebuilding and renovation. Although they started later than other localities in the city, the ward's determination led to the earliest completion of construction and handover of houses to residents on May 15th. Other wards such as Phu Trinh and Xuan An also completed their projects ahead of schedule.

The Phan Thiet Women's Association and the Duc Long Ward People's Committee handed over a house to a poor woman's family.

Mr. Vo Van Phuc, Head of the City's Agriculture and Environment Department, said: “To expedite progress, the Provincial Steering Committee and the City Steering Committee have provided close guidance and regularly reminded wards and communes. The Department has assigned two specialists to directly go down to the wards and communes to closely monitor the local situation, tracking each household and reporting daily progress. Every month, the City Steering Committee holds regular meetings to review progress and resolve obstacles.” The city has also established inspection and monitoring teams to track construction progress in each locality. At the same time, intensified propaganda and mobilization efforts have created a collaborative atmosphere spreading from agencies and organizations to every neighborhood and small village.

To date, except for one case in Mui Ne that was removed from the list due to no longer being eligible, the entire city has completed the construction of 82 out of 83 houses, fulfilling the provincial target. “The city set a target of completion before May 15th, but the actual implementation process encountered many unforeseen situations. Some houses collapsed during repairs, and some households had additional needs that required consideration. But the team worked very responsibly, everyone wanted to finish the work properly and ensure the people didn't have to wait long. Building houses for the poor requires meticulous work. It's terrible for people if a house leaks after only two years. I often remind the team of that. Some contributed labor, others contributed money, and we all supervised the work together with the people. Thanks to that, the work was done thoroughly,” shared Pham Van Nam, Secretary of the Phan Thiet City Party Committee.

However, during the implementation review process, the city also expressed concern that some households currently have very old houses but cannot carry out repairs or rebuilding due to land-related issues. The city's Steering Committee directed the City People's Committee and relevant departments to continue reviewing the situation to find solutions, but currently, no suitable measures have been found to resolve the issue.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/phan-thiet-ve-dich-trong-hanh-trinh-xoa-nha-tam-dot-nat-130685.html