Hà Nội suspends approval of new social housing projects

Hà Nội suspends approval of new social housing projects

The capital city must complete revisions to its housing development plan before November 30 to specify project lists, land reserves, funding sources and implementation schedules, with priorities clearly defined.

A social housing project in Hà Nội. Hà Nội has suspended consideration of investment policy approvals for new social housing projects while the city revises its housing development plan. — VNA/VNS Photo Phan Tuấn Anh

 Hà Nội has suspended consideration of investment policy approvals for new social housing projects while revising its housing development plan to prioritise sites with completed infrastructure and better align development with urban planning, housing demand and available resources.

According to a notice by the municipal Party Committee’s Standing Board, the city must complete revisions to its housing development plan before November 30 to specify project lists, land reserves, funding sources and implementation schedules, with priorities clearly defined.

The Standing Board has identified three priority approaches to social housing development.

The first is to use land transferred, or to be transferred, to the city by investors in urban and residential developments. Priority will go to cleared sites with fully developed technical infrastructure that can be put into use quickly.

The second is to develop social housing within multi-purpose urban areas, alongside efforts to accelerate projects serving resettlement needs and broader socio-economic development.

The third covers new concentrated social housing projects. Such projects must comply with planning requirements, reflect actual demand and be feasible to implement. The city will minimise approvals for small, fragmented developments lacking coordinated planning and infrastructure.

The suspension will not apply to projects already approved in principle by the Standing Board or projects falling under the first two priority approaches.

The Standing Board also identified the preparation and development of land and housing for resettlement as an urgent priority, given its importance to site clearance and the implementation of major projects.

Resettlement arrangements must be prepared in advance and integrated into investment planning, land acquisition, compensation and site clearance.

New accommodation must provide living conditions at least equivalent to, or better than, those at residents' previous homes, with adequate technical and social infrastructure and essential services.

Resources will be prioritised to meet urgent resettlement needs in 2026-27, particularly for major projects requiring extensive site clearance.

The city must issue an overall plan for developing resettlement land and housing for 2026-30 by October 31, 2026.

The capital city will also develop a centralised digital database and unified monitoring and management system for resettlement land and housing, which will regularly update information on locations, scale, legal status, current use, investment progress and availability to support demand forecasting and resource allocation.

As of July 2026, around 116 social housing projects have been approved in principle by the municipal People's Committee and under implementation, with a total of around 101,300 apartments.

The city was also implementing 24 housing projects for public security forces, covering more than 88ha with a total of 23,633 apartments.

In addition, Hà Nội had reached an agreement with the Ministry of National Defence on 15 land sites earmarked for social housing development, covering a total of about 18.8ha. 

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