Vu Dai Thang, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, recently signed Decision No. 37 on 31/3, issuing regulations on criteria for homeowners and land users whose land is reclaimed for urban renovation and embellishment projects to buy, rent, or lease-purchase social housing. The decision takes effect from 10/4/2026.

Accordingly, cases eligible to buy, rent, or lease-purchase social housing in social housing projects without a lottery and without meeting standard conditions include: homeowners and land users whose land is reclaimed, who are eligible for resettlement to serve site clearance but do not wish to purchase resettlement housing; and homeowners and land users whose land is reclaimed, who are not eligible for resettlement but face housing difficulties.

These cases must also meet specific criteria: possessing written confirmation from the communal People's Committee in the area of the urban renovation and embellishment project; and having never purchased or lease-purchased social housing in any project within the city.

Additionally, individuals considered must fall into one of the following categories: having their entire residential land area at the site clearance location reclaimed, including cases where not all land is reclaimed but the remaining area is smaller than the local minimum allowed for plot subdivision; and possessing no other residential housing or land in the commune where the land was reclaimed.

Even if not all land area is reclaimed and the remaining portion is viable but no resettlement is arranged, such cases may still be considered. The conditions are: the household comprises 7 people or more, or multiple households with two couples or more live together on a single plot at the site clearance location, and the average per capita housing area is less than or equal to the government's stipulated level.

A social housing project in Hanoi. Photo: Vo Hai

Under current regulations, social housing buyers in Hanoi must belong to a supported group and concurrently meet basic housing and income conditions. Specifically, buyers must not own a house in the locality of the project, or if they do, its average area must be below the minimum level; they must also have never purchased, lease-purchased, or received housing support policies.

Many groups must also meet income requirements, typically not exceeding approximately 20 million VND per month for single individuals or 40 million VND for households, depending on the case. Additionally, buyers must belong to policy-benefiting groups, such as low-income urban residents, workers, contributors, or those whose land was reclaimed but have not yet been allocated housing.

Vo Hai