Nguyen Hau, 54, lives in an alley approximately 100 m from national highway 1 (now Le Kha Phieu in Binh Chanh). His house displays only the number A12/36, not a street name. He states this number was assigned by the commune in 1994 for administrative purposes, based on neighborhood and hamlet boundaries, but it makes finding the location challenging.

For years, when asked for directions, he would often guide visitors to Binh Chanh market or a gold shop at the alley's entrance, then meet them there. More recently, with messaging apps, he sends his location to acquaintances. Yet, even these apps sometimes provide circuitous routes, making it difficult for newcomers or those unfamiliar with the area to locate his home.

Nguyen Hau installs his new house number, issued by Binh Chanh commune People's Committee, replacing the old A12/36 sign that lacked a street name, on 11/3. *Photo: Dinh Van*

His family also faces inconvenience when booking ride-hailing services. Despite the alley being wide enough for a seven-seater oto to reach their door, apps fail to display the exact location. This forces his family to walk to Le Kha Phieu street to catch a ride. "I often tell drivers to ask neighbors for 'Chin Hau' when they reach the alley entrance; it's easier to get directions that way", he said.

To Ha, 58, living about 50 m from the national highway, experiences similar issues. His address does not appear on maps, so he guides visitors using landmarks like a nearby bakery or barbershop.

For deliveries, he often sends his location to drivers. This is inconvenient when he works away from home. According to Ha, guiding ambulances or fire trucks into the alley is also difficult during emergencies like medical crises or fires in the neighborhood.

In some surrounding alleys, house numbers are not sequential. Adjacent houses might have a mix of even, odd, and lettered numbers, causing confusion. For instance, an import-export business on national highway 1 uses the address C9/36A, neighborhood 3.

Binh Chanh commune authorities are addressing house numbering issues, similar to those faced by Nguyen Hau and To Ha. The locality recently implemented a plan to re-number over 13,000 households.

Pointing to his new house number, 2324/22 Le Kha Phieu, which replaces the old A12/43 hamlet 1 address, Ha noted that residents are not yet accustomed to the change. However, he believes linking addresses to main roads will make them easier to find in the long term.

The new house number sign along Le Kha Phieu street in Binh Chanh commune makes finding To Ha's house more convenient than the old numbering system. *Photo: Dinh Van*

Nguyen Thanh Loi, Secretary of Binh Chanh commune, stated that the current house numbering system dates back to 1994-1995. Addresses were then assigned based on hamlets for administrative ease, not street names. For example, hamlets 1, 2, and 3 corresponded to the letters A, B, and C at the start of house numbers. Each commune used a different numbering method, creating inconsistency.

After over 30 years, this numbering method proved problematic. The establishment of the new Binh Chanh commune, formed by merging Tan Quy Tay and An Phu Tay communes (formerly part of Binh Chanh district), further complicated the address system.

To rectify this, the commune is implementing new house numbering rules based on the city's general database. Each house will be linked to the nearest main road, with even and odd numbers assigned to either side according to current standards.

The locality expects to complete issuing new house addresses for over 13,000 homes by 13/3. The Binh Chanh commune People's Committee will update these new numbers, along with the old ones, into the house numbering grid system, synchronizing them with the city's general database.

"After map platforms like Google Maps update administrative boundaries, the new house numbers will be integrated, making searching more convenient", Loi said.

The crowded residential area in Binh Chanh commune, next to national highway 1 (Le Kha Phieu street), has just received new house numbers uniformly issued by the commune People's Committee. *Photo: Dinh Van*

For years, residents across Ho Chi Minh City, not just Binh Chanh, have encountered complex house addresses with multiple slashes, sometimes 5-6, making them difficult to locate on maps. Administrative reorganizations have also increased the number of duplicate street names, causing confusion in management and transactions.

To address these issues, Ho Chi Minh City plans to deploy GIS (geographic information system) software for house number management. This system offers quick data updates and synchronization among agencies, unlike previous manual methods or paper maps. It also identifies duplicate house numbers and street names, allowing for timely adjustments and error reduction.

Dinh Van