First households resettle with social housing “ticket”

During the land acquisition process for the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway Project in Phuoc Tan and Tam Phuoc wards, more than 300 households were fully cleared, yet did not qualify for resettlement because their homes were built on agricultural land. Most of these households were comprised of migrants and informal workers, making the reconstruction of their housing nearly impossible.

Leaders of the Provincial Party Committee, the provincial People’s Committee, and the project investor hand over social housing apartments to households that have been entirely displaced. Photo: Hoang Loc

Facing this reality, Dong Nai Province issued an unprecedented policy prioritizing these households for the purchase of social housing. This special “ticket” has opened up opportunities for stable housing for many families, contributing to the resolution of bottlenecks in site clearance for projects.

No resettlement allocation, yet still able to secure housing

In late December 2025, Nguyen Thi Hai, residing in Huong Phuoc Quarter, Phuoc Tan Ward, Dong Nai Province, was among the first households to receive a home handover organized by the project investor. The apartment is a social housing unit allocated through the province’s priority “ticket” policy.

“I bought agricultural land with only handwritten documents. The former landowner has passed away, so I wasn’t granted a resettlement allocation, and the compensation procedures are still entangled. Thanks to the province’s policy, I was able to purchase social housing, which brings me great happiness. Now I just hope to receive the support funds soon so I can furnish and decorate the new home to welcome Tet (Lunar New Year),” Hai shared.

According to Hai, her family had spent many months living in cramped and insecure rental housing. When local authorities introduced the priority policy for purchasing social housing, she felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted. To her, this is a highly humane policy.

Sharing the same sentiment, Truong The Quang, residing in Vuon Dua Quarter, Phuoc Tan Ward, said his household was fully cleared but deemed ineligible for resettlement, which caused profound concern about long-term housing. After learning about the priority social housing policy from local authorities, he felt more at ease. Quang hopes the State will soon disburse the support funds, allowing him to pay for the home. He also hopes for additional policies to support households whose land has been recovered but who are not eligible for resettlement under current regulations.

Nguyen Thi Bao, residing in Huong Phuoc Quarter, Phuoc Tan Ward, is another case who was able to purchase social housing thanks to the province's priority policy. Bao shared that she moved from the Central region to Dong Nai to work as a factory worker and bought a small plot of land to build a house. At the time, she was unaware that the house was built on agricultural land; it was only when conducting land procedures that she discovered the land was part of a planned project area, and further construction was no longer permitted.

"My house was completely cleared, but I was not resettled. Buying residential land or commercial housing is beyond my financial capacity. Fortunately, I was prioritized by local authorities to purchase social housing, so I registered immediately. My family has prepared part of the payment, and we plan to borrow the remaining amount from relatives," Bao said.

From her family’s experience,  Bao drew the lesson of not buying or selling land and housing with handwritten documents and not building houses on agricultural land. Under normal circumstances, nothing may happen, but when the State recovers land, failure to comply with land-use and construction regulations leads to disadvantages in every respect.

On July 1, 2025, the provincial People’s Committee issued Decision No. 08/2025/QD-UBND, stipulating that households whose houses are cleared or demolished for site clearance to implement public investment projects, key and urgent projects, or projects subject to State land recovery, and who must relocate but do not meet conditions for resettlement, shall be given priority to purchase, rent, or lease-purchase social housing.

A social welfare policy for the people

The social housing project in Phuoc Tan Ward, with approximately 1,200 apartments, is the first in the province to mandate priority allocation for households that were cleared entirely but did not meet the legal conditions for resettlement.

Nguyen Minh Hai, Director of An Hung Phat Infrastructure Development Joint Stock Company, the project investor, stated that the company has recently completed the construction of 275 apartments and has begun handing them over to buyers. Among these, approximately 30 households were fully cleared under the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway Project.

According to Nguyen Minh Hai, for households on the priority list provided by local authorities, the investor has created favorable conditions for residents to register and select units. However, as of now, the number of registrations remains modest. To ensure priority households do not miss the opportunity for stable housing, the investor has extended the registration deadline to January 15, 2026. After this date, if priority households have not registered, the apartments will be offered to other eligible groups in accordance with social housing regulations.

At the groundbreaking ceremony for Block B, comprising more than 400 apartments, held on December 17, Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Ho Van Ha stated that this is a project of significant and urgent importance. It aims to provide housing for people who do not meet resettlement conditions when the State recovers land for the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway Project, while also addressing the housing needs of workers and residents in the locality.

Provincial leaders requested that the investor and contractors concentrate their resources on implementing the project on schedule, ensuring construction quality and labor safety, and strictly complying with regulations on construction and environmental protection. The province’s consistent viewpoint is that infrastructure development must go hand in hand with social welfare, ensuring that people whose land is recovered are not left without stable housing.

Dong Nai currently faces strong demand for social housing, not only from workers, low-income earners, and public employees, but also from households displaced during the implementation of socio-economic development projects. Expanding the range of eligible beneficiaries and continuing to invest in resettlement and social housing projects not only meets urgent housing needs but also creates new approaches to compensation and site clearance. This approach reflects policy flexibility and puts people at the center, rather than rigidly applying provincial regulations.

By Hoang Loc - Translated by Quynh Nhu, Minho