Dong Nai: Expanding preferential credit for social housing

Preferential credit programs for worker housing and social housing (SH) have delivered tangible results in recent years, helping thousands of families secure stable homes and improve their living conditions. These efforts have played a key role in advancing social welfare policies and laying the groundwork for sustainable development.

Ha Thi Thuy Trang and her husband (in Long Hung ward) are completing procedures to borrow preferential capital to buy a house. Photo: Hoang Loc

Alongside existing programs, both Central and local authorities are preparing to introduce additional funding sources, including housing development funds for rental projects to meet diverse housing needs.

Diversifying resources for affordable housing

SH is an excellent social welfare policy of the Party and State. To soon realize the goal of ensuring all people have equal, public, transparent access to housing suitable for their income, many policies have been implemented, one of which is capital.

Since 2023, to provide capital support to people and businesses, the Prime Minister has directed the rollout of a preferential credit package, initially worth VND120 trillion and later expanded to VND145 trillion, delivered through commercial banks. In parallel, the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies has implemented lending programs under Decree No. 100/2024/ND-CP and Decree No. 261/2025/ND-CP.

Although the disbursement has not met expectations, from a social welfare perspective, the programs have helped thousands of low-income people obtain the opportunity to own a home; businesses have more resources to implement and accelerate project progress; and localities have reduced social welfare pressure, promoted urbanization, and improved the quality of life for residents.

As of the end of March 2026, Dong Nai had 13 housing projects publicly listed as eligible for loans under the VND120 trillion credit program. Meanwhile, loans from The Social Policy Bank are available to a wide range of beneficiaries, including those buying, leasing, or renovating social housing.

Ha Thi Thuy Trang (in Long Hung ward) shared: For a couple working as factory workers, it is very difficult to own a home. Thanks to the low-interest loan program, her family recently decided to buy an SH unit on an installment plan. With stable housing, she and her husband will work hard and spend sparingly so they can fulfill their repayment obligations as soon as possible.

Sharing the joy of settling down, Tran Van Thuan in Bao Vinh ward said that thanks to the preferential loan to buy SH, his family had the conditions to settle down. "I borrowed more than 500 million VND to buy a house. The low interest rate and long loan term make me quite comfortable. This capital is very practical for low-income people," Thuan said.

In addition to the disbursed capital sources, the National Housing Fund and Provincial Housing Funds are also being established under the direction of the Government. These funds will focus on supporting investment capital for building SH and developing rental housing funds for cadres, civil servants, public employees, and workers in urban areas.

In Dong Nai province, Do Thanh Phuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Construction, said that the Provincial People's Committee has assigned the Provincial Investment and Development Fund to undertake the tasks of the Dong Nai Provincial Housing Fund. Once this fund becomes operational, the province will have additional resources to develop products, diversify housing types, and simultaneously help stabilize the market and ease pressure on house prices.

Ensuring capital reaches the right beneficiaries for the right purpose

One of the key directives of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in meetings with ministries, sectors, and localities is to accelerate the disbursement of preferential credit programs for SH. The solutions required by the head of the Government focus on cutting administrative procedures, removing legal obstacles to ensure projects are implemented and completed as planned, increasing supply, ensuring sufficient land for housing development goals, publicizing the list of eligible projects for preferential loans so that buyers are aware, simplifying loan procedures, reducing interest rates, and increasing loan terms. In addition, the Government requests that the State Bank of Vietnam direct commercial banks to actively advise and support investors and the public in accessing capital.

Regarding capital from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, Nguyen Sy Cuong, Deputy Director of the Dong Nai Provincial Branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, stated: Currently, the total capital for lending to buy, lease-purchase social housing, build new, renovate, or repair houses is over 1 trillion VND, of which the provincial budget allocates over 655 billion VND.

By the end of March 2026, the total outstanding loan balance reached approximately 605 billion VND, with over 1,000 customers; the remaining capital was about 400 billion VND, which could meet the borrowing needs of approximately 500 customers. If demand increases significantly, the bank will proactively advise the Provincial People's Committee to balance and supplement capital, ensuring that people have convenient access to capital.

According to the Dong Nai Provincial Branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, new government regulations have recently created more favorable conditions for people to access capital. Borrowers do not have to reconfirm their eligibility or housing status; as of October 1, 2025, the lending interest rate is set at 5.4% per year, with a maximum loan term of 25 years. The bank creates the most favorable conditions, and all cases that meet the required criteria, purpose, and conditions are eligible for loans.

Van Minh Hoang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Chuong Duong Homeland Joint Stock Company, assessed that preferential credit programs for social housing have humanitarian significance. With a project of nearly 1,100 apartments underway in Dong Nai, the enterprise has proactively coordinated with the social policy bank to ensure homebuyers can access capital conveniently. The enterprise will accelerate construction progress, hand over apartments on time, and ensure quality in accordance with published standards, thereby contributing to stable and sustainable living environments for residents.

By Hoang Loc – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho