Housing development needed for middle-income earners

One of the key directives issued by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the Central Steering Committee for Housing Policy and the Real Estate Market, at a meeting on February 26 was to significantly increase housing supply across all segments. Notably, Prime Minister Chinh underscored the need to develop housing products suitable for middle-income earners, defined as those with incomes of over 20 million VND per month.

Customers seek information about a social housing project in Long Hung ward. Photo: Hoang Loc

The directive is regarded as an important solution to ensure fair and transparent access to housing for all citizens, particularly in urban areas with a high concentration of industrial parks.

Urgent demand in practice

For many years, housing policies have failed to adequately meet the needs of the workforce that makes up the majority in major urban centers and industrial hubs. The reason is that commercial housing prices remain far beyond the affordability of many, while individuals earning stable incomes of over 20 million VND per month do not qualify for social housing support. As a result, there is a clear and pressing gap in housing options tailored to this income group.

At the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that housing is a fundamental right of every citizen. All people, he stated, must be able to access housing appropriate to their income in a transparent environment that harmonizes the interests of the State, citizens and businesses. He added that over the past two years, the Government and localities have recorded significant achievements in developing social housing for low-income earners, eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses for poor and near-poor households, and supporting housing reconstruction in disaster-affected areas. However, the current requirement is to expand development to include housing for middle-income groups.

To realize this goal, the Prime Minister requested ministries, sectors and localities to unify their approach and promptly propose solutions to develop affordable commercial housing. Priority should be given to allocating land for such projects in planning schemes, while preferential credit packages should be studied to support homebuyers in real need of housing.

Housing demand in Dong Nai remains high

According to Do Thanh Phuong, Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Construction, Dong Nai has made notable progress in housing development for various target groups. In 2025 alone, the province built more than 1,500 new homes and repaired nearly 400 houses under the program to eliminate temporary and dilapidated housing, with a total value of nearly 122 billion VND, completing and surpassing the national schedule by six months. The province also completed more than 4,600 social housing units, achieving 112% of the Government-assigned target.

Despite these achievements, housing demand in the province remains substantial. For social housing alone, statistics for 2025 estimate that from 600,000 to 650,000 people are in need of social housing, equivalent to 150,000–160,000 apartments. In addition, individuals earning over 20 million VND per month who cannot afford commercial housing yet exceed the eligibility threshold for social housing also have significant housing needs.

Therefore, the province fully supports the policy of developing housing segment for middle-income earners. At the same time, in a bid to ease housing pressure, Dong Nai has proposed that the Ministry of Construction advise the Government to introduce additional incentives for social housing projects for rent to assist those not yet able to purchase homes.

Dong Nai is a province with significant housing demand, especially in central wards in the Southern part of the province. Once housing policies for middle-income earners are finalized and implemented, the province expects housing supply to increase, prices to gradually decline and urban housing pressure to ease. Such positive effects would also help the real estate market develop in a safer and healthier manner, generate new jobs and contribute to economic growth and social security.

John Mortimer, a foreign expert working at Bien Hoa 2 Industrial Park, said he is seeking to purchase a commercial apartment in Dong Nai. In his view, if the State introduces policies to develop reasonably priced commercial apartments for middle-income earners, not only he but also a large number of workers and employees would welcome the opportunity to access home ownership.

Synchronized policies, procedures and land resources needed

To boost supply and reduce housing prices, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh stressed that localities must effectively implement the social housing targets assigned by the Government. They should urgently approve housing development programs and plans for the 2026–2030 period as a basis for implementation. Moreover, local authorities need to proactively allocate budget resources for land clearance and site compensation to create clean land funds for housing development, while also removing obstacles facing projects in order to unlock investment resources and soon bring products to the market.

According to the Department of Construction, following provincial merger, around 450,000 workers in industrial parks and 150,000–200,000 others including freelance workers, officials, civil servants and other low-income groups are in need of housing. In total, the province currently has about 600,000–650,000 people in need of social housing.

On the part of the Ministry of Construction, in line with the Prime Minister’s directives, the ministry will refine policies on affordable commercial housing and social housing, including expanding eligibility for social housing access, thereby creating a strong shift in national housing policy in the coming period.

On February 27, the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Council approved a Resolution on the Housing Development Program for the 2021–2030 period, setting a target of building approximately 87 million square meters of floor space, equivalent to nearly 701,000 housing units by 2030. These will include various types such as commercial housing, social housing, official residences, self-built homes and housing for armed forces personnel.

According to Member of the provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Ho Van Ha, the province’s housing development goal is to ensure connectivity among areas while meeting both new construction and renovation needs in accordance with quality standards and regulations. Priority will be given to large-scale, modern and smart projects with prices suitable for middle- and low-income earners as well as policy beneficiaries, ensuring a transparent market strictly regulated to prevent speculation and land waste.

New housing projects will be associated with the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) model, synchronizing technical and social infrastructure, enhancing connectivity with surrounding areas, adapting to climate change and applying green materials and modern technologies.

By Hoang Loc – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha