Developing the National Housing Fund: More housing opportunities for workers

The National Housing Fund, when put into operation, is expected to open up many "home" opportunities for millions of workers - Photo: VGP/ Toan Thang

More housing opportunities for millions of workers

According to Dr. Nguyen Van Dinh, Vice President of the Vietnam Real Estate Association, in the process of strong economic development and urbanization, Vietnam has witnessed remarkable growth in the real estate market.

However, this development is uneven, leading to a serious shortage of social housing, especially rental housing with good quality and prices suitable for workers' incomes.

In fact, in many industrial zones in Vietnam, there is still a serious shortage of housing for workers. This leads to workers having to find their own accommodation spontaneously, without ensuring quality, negatively affecting their lives and work efficiency.

In that context, the development of the National Housing Fund, especially social housing and rental housing, is a correct and urgent policy. Over the past decades, Vietnam has achieved many remarkable achievements in terms of economy and urbanization. However, the housing fund, especially social housing and low-cost rental housing, has not yet met the needs of workers. In industrial zones, workers often have to rent accommodation with poor living conditions, not ensuring safety and hygiene.

"This not only affects the health and spirit of workers but also reduces productivity and work efficiency," analyzed Dr. Nguyen Van Dinh.

Dr. Vo Tri Thanh, Director of the Institute for Brand Development and Competitiveness Research, said that real estate prices in large cities are continuously increasing, creating great pressure on people's ability to own a house, especially those with low incomes.

In that context, the establishment of the National Housing Fund is considered a breakthrough solution, opening up housing opportunities for millions of people. The National Housing Fund not only helps people access suitable housing but also contributes to regulating the real estate market, limiting speculation, thereby promoting sustainable economic growth.

The National Housing Fund model is considered feasible for Vietnam. However, to ensure long-term effectiveness, it is necessary to have a design suitable to the market characteristics and domestic financial resources.

Dr. Nguyen Van Dinh said that in reality, the real estate market is developing out of sync, with a serious shortage of social housing and rental housing. The establishment of the National Housing Fund will help solve the housing needs of policy beneficiaries and low-income workers, ensure social security, and create conditions for people to "settle down and make a living". At the same time, it will contribute to promoting economic development, especially in industrial parks and large urban areas, and overcome the imbalance between supply and demand, ensuring the sustainability of the real estate market.

Many workers in industrial zones are enthusiastically receiving information about the proposal to implement the National Housing Fund. For them, this will create more opportunities to access and improve housing so that they can work with peace of mind in the context of social housing projects not meeting demand, while commercial housing projects are priced "out of reach".

Ms. Trinh Thi Huyen, a worker at Bac Thang Long Industrial Park (Hanoi) shared: "This is very good news for us workers. We hope that when the National Housing Fund comes into operation, it will create more favorable conditions for low-income workers to have the opportunity to access capital and accommodation suitable for their income from the support of the State and society."

A social housing project for workers in industrial parks in Binh Duong - Photo: VGP

Need 'conductor' to coordinate and take responsibility from many sides

To solve the problem of the National Housing Fund, Dr. Nguyen Van Dinh said that mobilizing resources from many sides is inevitable. First of all, the State needs to have a clear plan and land fund to develop the housing fund.

Effective use of public land funds, combined with preferential policies, will facilitate the construction of housing projects suitable to people's needs.

However, resources do not only come from the State but also require the cooperation of workers through contributing a small portion of their salary to the national housing fund. This is a highly socialized solution, demonstrating the responsibility of each individual to the community.

In addition, real estate businesses also need to have social responsibility in developing social housing. Allocating a portion of profits from commercial housing projects to build social housing or rental housing will contribute to solving the housing problem for low-income workers.

"In particular, industrial parks need to take responsibility for building housing for workers. Leaving this issue to local authorities has caused many consequences for social security, the environment and security and order. Enterprises need to participate in developing urban infrastructure, housing infrastructure and commercial services, or contribute financially to the State to implement these projects," Dr. Nguyen Van Dinh shared.

Sharing more about this issue, Dr. Vo Tri Thanh said that the State needs to play a central role in establishing, coordinating and operating the National Housing Fund, while encouraging the participation of other economic sectors to optimize resources.

The National Housing Fund will focus on providing housing at preferential prices, through sales or rentals, targeting industrial park workers, freelancers, civil servants and public employees who do not have stable housing, and young families facing financial difficulties.

According to Dr. Vo Tri Thanh's analysis, a strict review and monitoring mechanism is a key factor to ensure efficiency, transparency and avoid loss, while ensuring that capital reaches the right people in real need.

"If implemented properly, the national housing fund model can become an important solution, helping millions of people access affordable housing, while contributing to stabilizing and developing the real estate market in a sustainable manner," Dr. Vo Tri Thanh expected.

Toan Thang

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/phat-trien-quy-nha-o-quoc-giathem-co-hoi-an-cu-cho-nguoi-lao-dong-102250325102848601.htm