In particular, since the two-tiered local government model was implemented, the city has been able to strongly decentralize power to the commune level and strengthen direct support for the grassroots through the establishment of working groups that go down to each locality. These new solutions and approaches have created a clear effect, helping Hanoi maintain zero poverty, with the number of near-poor households continuing to decrease significantly, aiming for inclusive and sustainable development.
No more poor households, near-poor households reduced
Dong Chiem village (formerly An Phu commune, now part of My Duc commune) was once considered the "lowest of low-lying areas" in the capital. Due to its low-lying terrain, heavy rains would cause severe flooding, limiting rice cultivation to only one crop per year, leading to hardship for the villagers for many years. According to Nguyen Dinh Lieu, the village head, more than 10 years ago, the village had over 100 poor households, accounting for nearly 30% of the population.
The changes began in 2008, when the city and district implemented the construction of a dike system, enabling people to cultivate two crops per year. Income increased, and people's lives improved. The people of Dong Chiem also actively sought additional livelihoods, especially side jobs such as selling sticky rice, grilled corn, and grilled duck in the inner city streets. The economy flourished from then on.
By the end of 2024, Dong Chiem village officially had no more poor households after a comprehensive review of all 560 households. The case of Ms. Dinh Thi Lam is a typical example of someone who received support to escape poverty. Ms. Lam's husband passed away early, leaving her family in dilapidated financial straits and living in a run-down house. In 2024, thanks to support from the city and the combined efforts of relatives, she received a new, spacious house. "I am very happy to have truly escaped poverty and stabilized my life," Ms. Lam shared.
The changes in Dong Chiem are just a glimpse into the overall, flourishing picture of sustainable poverty reduction across the entire capital city. According to Hoang Thi Hoa, Head of the Rural Development Department (Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment), at the end of 2021, the city had 3,612 poor households, accounting for 0.16% of the total households. By the end of 2022, this number had decreased to 2,134 poor households, accounting for 0.095%; by the end of 2023, it had further decreased to 690 poor households, accounting for 0.03%; and by the end of 2024, the city officially had no poor households. Notably, statistics show that after transitioning to a two-tiered local government model, 100% of the city's 126 communes and wards no longer have poor households, with 43 units having no poor or near-poor households. By September 2025, communes and wards in the area had helped reduce the number of near-poor households by an additional 103, significantly contributing to improving the lives of rural people and creating a solid foundation for Hanoi to move towards the goal of inclusive and sustainable development.
Special policies, sustainable poverty reduction
Hanoi has always considered poverty reduction a crucial political task, directly affecting the lives of its people, especially vulnerable groups. Over the years, Hanoi has developed its own poverty line, approximately 30% higher than the national standard, and has implemented numerous specific policies to achieve sustainable poverty reduction.
A typical example is Resolution No. 17/2021/NQ-HĐND of the Hanoi City People's Council, which stipulates a number of specific policies to achieve the sustainable poverty reduction goals of Hanoi City in the period 2022-2025. This includes providing monthly support equivalent to the poverty line for eligible individuals; supporting health insurance and tuition fees for students from poor and near-poor households; and encouraging households to voluntarily submit applications to escape poverty or near-poverty.
In addition, Resolution No. 09/2021/NQ-HĐND of the Hanoi City People's Council, which stipulates the standard levels of social assistance and social protection beneficiaries in Hanoi, has been implemented comprehensively, including policies supporting projects to diversify livelihoods, poverty reduction models, and enhance production capacity for the people. To effectively implement the 2025 Poverty Reduction Plan, the Hanoi City People's Committee issued Decision No. 801/QĐ-UBND dated February 19, 2025, which sets the goal of preventing the emergence of new poor households and reducing the number of near-poor households by 2,519.
According to the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment, immediately after being assigned by the Hanoi People's Committee to be in charge of poverty reduction (from March 1, 2025), the Department issued a plan to implement the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction in 2025 to communes and wards in the area. In particular, implementing a two-tiered local government model, the Department established working groups to go down to the communes to guide localities in establishing Steering Committees to review poor and near-poor households; to compile statistics on households facing housing difficulties to propose support for new construction or repairs; and to organize the review and compilation of a list of near-poor households according to the central government's standards.
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the successful August Revolution and National Day on September 2nd, the Department of Agriculture and Environment advised the People's Committee and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi to present gifts to 687 near-poor households according to central government standards, with a budget of over 3.4 billion VND. The department also continued to implement measures to create jobs for workers; support poor households in accessing loans; and strengthen healthcare, disease prevention and control, and public health care.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/thuc-day-giam-ngheo-khong-bo-lai-ai-phia-sau-huong-den-muc-tieu-phat-trien-bao-trum-va-ben-vung-726366.html
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