On 20/7, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, Vu Dai Thang, signed Directive No. 16 to boost the development of social housing within the city. This initiative contributes to Hanoi's two-digit socioeconomic growth target.

According to the directive, the city is committed to achieving the minimum target of 18,700 social housing apartments assigned by the Prime Minister for 2026. Additionally, Hanoi strives to bring approximately 25,000 to 27,000 eligible apartments to the market.

A resettlement housing area located at the Duy Tan - Tran Thai Tong intersection, Cau Giay Ward. Photo: Giang Huy

A resettlement housing area located at the Duy Tan - Tran Thai Tong intersection, Cau Giay Ward. Photo: Giang Huy

The directive states that the city also aims to commence all 114 social housing projects in the latter half of 2026. Construction progress will be accelerated for about 77 projects to complete their foundations, making approximately 46,100 apartments eligible for the market.

Currently, there are 147 social housing and armed forces housing projects in Hanoi that have received investment policy approval or had an investor assigned. These projects encompass an estimated 132,000 apartments with a total investment capital of approximately VND 290,500 ty.

Among these, 30 projects are currently under construction, totaling about 24,000 apartments. An additional 11 projects are expected to complete their rough construction phase in 2026, providing about 5,400 units, while the remaining 19 investment projects are anticipated to be eligible for market supply within 2026.

To accelerate project progress, the city mandates a "green lane" mechanism for all social housing-related procedures. This includes reducing administrative processing time by at least 50% in planning, investment, land, and construction sectors. The city will prioritize immediate resolution of procedures for projects with cleared sites to begin construction in July and August.

Commune-level People's Committees are delegated the authority to appraise and approve 1:500 detailed planning for social housing construction investment projects. They are permitted to approve 1:500 detailed planning first, then update it into urban sub-zone planning and adjust urban sub-zone planning later. All approvals and adjusted approvals for 1:500 detailed planning must be completed by August.

Projects with investors assigned before 30/3 must complete site clearance by 15/8. The policy unifies the assignment of investors to relocate and restore underground and above-ground technical infrastructure facilities within the project boundaries, including power lines. These costs will be included in the project's site clearance expenses.

The directive also clearly defines the responsibilities of various agencies and units. The Department of Construction serves as the standing body of the city's special task force, holding regular meetings every two weeks. It will appraise feasibility reports and issue construction permits within a maximum of 10 working days from receiving complete dossiers. Furthermore, the Department encourages investors to increase the proportion of social housing for rent in project proposals that have not yet received the city's investment policy approval or had an investor assigned.

Vo Hai