Brian Jeffrey
The N01 – D17 resettlement project, located at No. 1 Duy Tan Street in Cau Giay District, stands as a noteworthy case. With an investment of VND 223 billion, construction started in 2010, aiming for completion in 2013. However, over a decade later, the structures remain incomplete and unused. The purpose of this project was to accommodate families displaced by the expansion of Nguyen Van Huyen Street and the development of the Cau Giay New Urban Area.
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The now-abandoned 15-story buildings in Cau Giay District occupy valuable land, surrounded by unruly weeds and barred off with metal fences. The sidewalks nearby have become informal parking areas and dumping grounds.
In a similar situation, three resettlement buildings (N3, N4, and N5) in the Sai Dong Urban Area of Long Bien District have been left to decay for years. Completed in 2007, these buildings sit empty despite being located in a central area with ample transportation options. Only a few ground-level units are being utilized as office space for the management team of Hanoi Construction Corporation No. 3.
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The outside of these buildings is choked with weeds, while construction debris fills the first-floor lobbies. This initiative had an overall budget of over VND 1.29 trillion but remains largely underused.
A 15-story resettlement building located in Yen So Ward, Hoang Mai District, has likewise been abandoned for years. Its exterior is surrounded by metal barriers, and the designated green spaces and playgrounds have been overrun with weeds.
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Another abandoned resettlement project on Tam Trinh Street in Hoang Mai District, initiated by the local government in 2010 with an investment of VND 761 billion, was supposed to feature four high-rise apartment buildings (9 to 15 stories). Yet, these structures now stand vacant in an abandoned zone.
Despite the substantial investment and completion of basic infrastructure, these buildings sit isolated amid barren plots of land.
A similar situation exists with another resettlement endeavor on Khuyen Luong Street in Tran Phu Ward, Hoang Mai District, which includes two towers: one at 15 floors and the other at 9. Located near the Ring Road 3 and Thanh Tri Bridge, these buildings remain unoccupied, with locals using the vacant grounds for drying rice.
Years of vacancy have led local residents to utilize the empty outdoor areas for drying rice.
Three over-10-story resettlement structures in the Den Lu III area on Tan Mai Street, Hoang Mai District, are also unoccupied. Despite facing the picturesque Den Lu Lake Park, these buildings have sat unused, some areas showing deterioration, which highlights the resource waste in a city facing a housing shortage.
In a statement to VietNamNet, Hoang Hai, Director of the Housing and Real Estate Market Management Department at the Ministry of Construction, mentioned that prior to the 2014 Housing Law, resettlement for displaced individuals was managed chiefly through land compensation or state-financed construction of resettlement housing.
Post-2014, the housing policy has diversified to include the option for purchasing commercial or social housing as part of various urban initiatives, thereby decreasing the reliance on government-funded construction.
Hai admitted that many projects launched before the 2014 update remain poorly utilized, without viable plans for effective use, causing public dissatisfaction and significant waste of governmental resources and lands.
The 2023 Housing Law introduces measures to convert underused resettlement housing into social housing or other purposes, aiming to enhance the utilization of completed housing and eliminate property abandonment.
Recently, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh instructed the Ministry of Construction to investigate opportunities to transform unused resettlement housing into social housing, as part of a broader initiative to construct at least one million social housing units.
Thach Thao
