Developing social housing near industrial parks

Dong Nai is among the localities with the largest land reserves designated for social housing development in the country. However, many of these sites face development challenges or have yet to attract sufficient investor interest.

Residents complete procedures to purchase social housing in Long Hung ward, Dong Nai City.

Recently, the Standing Board of the Dong Nai City Party Committee agreed on a policy to plan and develop social housing projects near industrial parks and central urban areas to meet the housing needs of workers and residents, thereby contributing to the fulfillment of social housing development targets by 2030.

Large land reserves, but limited suitability for development

Over the years, Dong Nai has identified social housing development as a key social welfare task, closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals and the processes of industrialization and urbanization. The city has gradually improved its institutional framework, streamlined construction investment procedures, expanded the categories of eligible beneficiaries, and allocated substantial land reserves for social housing development.

As a result, significant progress has been achieved. In 2025, Dong Nai achieved 112% of the Government-assigned social housing target. In the first quarter of 2026, the city continued to lead the country in newly commenced social housing units.

Deputy Director of the Department of Construction Do Thanh Phuong said that Dong Nai currently has more than 1,100 hectares of land designated for social housing and worker housing development, including both independent land reserves and the 20% land allocation within commercial housing projects. This feature makes the city one of the localities with the largest land reserves for social housing development in the country. According to Phuong, these land reserves are generally sufficient to meet the city's social housing development targets through 2030.

However, many land plots previously designated for social housing development are located in rural areas and are better suited to low-rise, single-family housing. Meanwhile, the 2023 Housing Law stipulates that social housing must generally be developed in the form of apartment buildings, except in certain ethnic minority and mountainous areas. Following the administrative consolidation, Dong Nai has gained a significantly expanded development space. Apart from highly urbanized areas such as Tran Bien, Bien Hoa, Long Thanh, and Nhon Trach, most other areas continue to follow the traditional single-family housing model. As a result, developing social housing apartment projects in many locations remains challenging due to limited actual demand and difficulties in attracting investors.

Another challenge concerns the development of worker housing within industrial parks. Although the Government’s Decree No. 35/2022/ND-CP, issued in 2022, permits the construction of worker housing on service land within industrial parks, requirements related to environmental safety setback distances have significantly limited the availability of suitable land for such projects.

The city currently has around 300 hectares of land reserves designated for social housing within the 20% land allocation for commercial housing projects. However, these land reserves have not been effectively utilized, as many of the projects remain entangled in legal issues or have yet to complete technical infrastructure development.

Given the above situation, the Department of Construction has recommended that the City People's Committee assign a unit to conduct a comprehensive review of land reserves for social housing. The department also proposed considering 20% land reserves where infrastructure has already been invested in, but project implementation has been delayed, so they can be assigned to capable investors for implementation. In addition, the Department of Construction proposed prioritizing the allocation of additional land near industrial parks and in central urban areas, where demand is high, infrastructure is well developed, and transport connectivity is convenient, for social housing development.

Building rental housing near industrial parks

Recently, the central government issued directives to accelerate the development of rental housing in major urban centers and areas with large concentrations of workers.

Specifically, Notice No. 64-TB/VPTW, dated May 22, 2026, issued by the Office of the Party Central Committee on the conclusions of General Secretary and President To Lam, noted that housing products suitable for the financial capacity of middle- and low-income earners have not received adequate attention. The supply of social housing remains insufficient and unevenly distributed. Many projects lack connections to essential social infrastructure, while land-use planning has not been effectively aligned with areas with high worker concentrations. In addition, businesses still lack sufficient motivation to participate more strongly in the social and affordable housing segment.

Decision No. 973/QD-UBND, issued by the People's Committee of Dong Nai Province (now Dong Nai City) at the end of March 2026, sets a target of developing at least 67,000 social housing units during the 2021–2030 period. Priority areas for social housing development include zones surrounding Long Thanh International Airport, areas adjacent to industrial parks and free trade zones, and central urban areas across the city.

Accordingly, the central government's orientation is that the State will not directly subsidize housing, nor will it allow the market to operate without appropriate regulation. Instead, the State will establish institutions, planning frameworks, and mechanisms so that the market develops transparently and healthily, enabling businesses to earn reasonable profits while helping citizens access housing that matches their financial capacity. At the same time, the State is promoting the development of rental housing through a long-term strategy to meet the needs of groups with high housing demand but limited homeownership capacity, including workers, young employees, students, public officials, civil servants, and members of the armed forces.

At a meeting on the afternoon of May 25 with ministries, sectors, and Hanoi City, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung directed the Ministry of Construction to proactively coordinate with major cities, including Dong Nai City, to assess rental housing demand as a basis for planning and resource allocation. He also tasked the ministry with leading and coordinating with relevant ministries, agencies, and localities to study and propose specific nationwide targets for rental housing development.

Immediately following the above directives, on May 26, the Party Committee of the City People’s Committee reported and proposed a policy to plan and develop social housing near industrial parks with large numbers of workers, prioritizing areas facing urgent housing demand. The Standing Board of the City Party Committee gave in-principle approval to the proposal. In the initial phase, the city will develop rental social housing near industrial parks such as Amata and Nhon Trach, as well as other parks with large numbers of workers.

At the same time, the city assigned the Department of Construction to continue reviewing land plots located near urban areas and industrial parks to expand land reserves for rental housing development. This effort is expected to help workers, officials, civil servants, and public employees access housing at reasonable costs, thereby improving residential stability across the city.

Dong Nai is striving to become a new center for industry, logistics, and services in the Southeast region, as well as an important growth pole of the country. This development trajectory is expected to generate increasing demand for housing, particularly among workers, laborers, and low-income earners. Ensuring adequate and suitable land reserves while promoting the development of diverse housing models, including rental housing in high-demand areas, is a solution to achieving the goal of ensuring that all residents have access to adequate housing. These efforts will also contribute to the city's balanced, harmonious, and sustainable development.

By Hoang Loc – Translated by Minh Hong, Minho