Positive signals in the implementation of social housing construction

According to a report from the Department of Construction, during the period 2014-2021, Thanh Hoa province directed and organized the implementation and completion of 14 social housing and worker housing projects with a total floor area of ​​525,821 m2, equivalent to approximately 5,478 apartments. This means the province has taken the lead in implementing the Prime Minister's plan "Investing in the construction of at least 1 million social housing apartments for low-income earners and industrial park workers in the period 2021-2030".

The social housing project in Hoang Long Industrial Park (Thanh Hoa City) is currently being completed by the investor.

However, compared to the target set in the plan for 2030, completing at least 13,787 social housing units is no easy task for the province. To concretize this goal, the Provincial People's Committee has issued a phased implementation plan: constructing approximately 6,287 units in the 2021-2025 period and approximately 7,500 units in the 2026-2030 period. From 2021 to the present, four projects with approximately 2,200 units have been completed in the province, and an estimated 4,200 units are expected to be completed by 2025. Thus, compared to the phased investment target for 2021-2025, Thanh Hoa has a solid foundation to meet the target, with 10 projects comprising approximately 8,748 units currently under active implementation.

However, by the 2026-2030 period, achieving the goal of the "Investment in the construction of at least 1 million social housing units for low-income earners and industrial zone workers in the 2021-2023 period" project will not be as straightforward as in the previous phase. This is because the procedures for implementing the 14 social housing and worker housing projects as planned are facing numerous difficulties and obstacles.

Specifically, according to Nguyen Manh Tuan, Head of the Housing and Real Estate Market Management Department (Department of Construction), the construction of social housing and worker housing is a very humane policy. However, in terms of legal procedures, the steps from the approval of the investment policy to the implementation of construction for social housing and worker housing projects are no different from those of commercial housing projects and urban areas. Typically, the time to complete these procedures takes 1 to 2 years. Many projects encounter other obstacles such as compliance with planning levels, the time required to complete surrounding technical infrastructure (for social housing projects within commercial housing projects), land clearance, etc., so the process and procedures from planning to selecting an investor can take up to 5 years.

From 2021 to the present, the province has completed 4 projects with approximately 2,200 apartments, and by 2025, it is expected to complete about 4,200 apartments. Thus, compared to the investment targets for the 2021-2025 period, Thanh Hoa has a solid foundation to meet the targets, as 10 projects with approximately 8,748 apartments are being actively implemented.

Meanwhile, although exempted from land use fees and offered preferential loans with interest rate reductions of 1.5% to 2%, social housing projects for workers still have to go through the procedures and process of land valuation (as stipulated before the Housing Law of 2023 came into effect and currently, land valuation applies to the 20% of land allocated for commercial, service, or housing facilities within the social housing project), further prolonging the investment procedures. In reality, many projects are facing difficulties in implementing these procedures because the project location has not yet been approved in the zoning plan. This is an objective reason, as the General Urban Development Plan of Thanh Hoa province until 2040 was only approved by the Prime Minister earlier this year, and it will take time to develop and approve the zoning plan. This means these projects have to "wait" for investment approval.

According to Mr. Nguyen Manh Tuan, the appraisal process has encountered difficulties with some social housing projects due to changes in relevant legal regulations. Specifically, conditions regarding construction density and investor capacity have prevented them from meeting the requirements for investment approval, investor selection, and project implementation. In addition, the recovery of 20% of the land fund in commercial housing projects and urban areas for social housing construction is still facing challenges because investors have not yet completed the project's technical infrastructure.

In this context, Directive No. 34-CT/TW dated May 24, 2024, of the Central Party Secretariat on strengthening the Party's leadership over social housing development in the new situation (hereinafter referred to as Directive 34) was issued, bringing many positive signals. Subsequently, the Provincial Party Committee issued a plan to organize the implementation of Directive 34, aiming to raise awareness and responsibility of Party committees, government agencies, the Fatherland Front, political and social organizations, cadres, Party members, and all strata of the people regarding the role, significance, and importance of social housing development in the new situation. At the same time, it required that the implementation be serious, practical, effective, and synchronized from the provincial level to the grassroots; mobilizing the participation of all levels, sectors, localities, units, and all strata of the people; establishing a provincial steering committee on social housing development; and implementing housing support policies for policy beneficiaries. The Provincial People's Committee, and specifically Vice Chairman Mai Xuan Liem, has issued decisive directives and implemented comprehensive solutions, including accelerating the progress of preparing and approving zoning plans for land clearance, investing in surrounding technical infrastructure as a basis for approving investment policies, and selecting investors to implement the projects. Simultaneously, specific tasks have been assigned to each department, sector, and locality for each specific project to address difficulties and obstacles and accelerate investment progress for ongoing projects. This is an important foundation and a positive signal for accelerating the construction of social housing in the province.

Text and photos: Dong Thanh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tin-hieu-tich-cuc-trong-trien-khai-xay-dung-nha-o-xa-hoi-229427.htm