Expanding housing opportunities for laborers

Dong Nai is one of the country’s leading industrial hubs, home to hundreds of thousands of factory workers and migrant laborers. Yet despite their daily contributions to the production engine, many still live in cramped, makeshift rental rooms. For these workers, the dream of a solid and stable home remains distant.

This reality is why the Ministry of Construction’s proposal to raise the income threshold for purchasing social housing has drawn much attention. Under the former regulations, many workers struggling with accommodation still lost the opportunity to buy social housing simply because their income “exceeded the standard” by only a few hundred thousand dong per month. This challenge is an unreasonable paradox that needs to be resolved.

According to the new draft, single individuals will be eligible to buy social housing if their monthly income does not exceed VND 20 million, and couples if their combined income does not exceed VND 40 million. Compared with the previous level, this ceiling is higher by VND 5-10 million, reflecting more accurately the actual living costs in localities with many industrial parks, such as Dong Nai. This modification is clearly a reasonable adjustment, opening the door to home ownership for many factory workers who devote themselves to the plants day and night.

In addition, the Ministry of Construction has also proposed lowering the interest rate on social housing loans to 5.4% per year, instead of the current 6.6%. For laborers, even a 1–2% reduction in loan interest is already a significant support. It eases the burden of monthly repayments, allowing them to plan for the long term rather than being stuck in the endless cycle of renting.

These policy adjustments not only make it easier for people to access social housing but also create momentum for businesses. When market conditions are favorable, enterprises are more willing to invest in the affordable housing segment, thereby helping to balance supply and demand.

For Dong Nai, raising the income threshold for social housing carries particular significance. It will give tens of thousands of factory and migrant workers the chance to own a home, while also helping stabilize the labor force in industrial parks. Laborers with housing will feel secure to stay long-term, enterprises will see less labor turnover, while localities will ease pressures from spontaneous rental housing, public security, and social welfare.

The information has also drawn much attention from officials, civil servants, and public employees working away from home in Dong Nai, due to the implementation of the policy of merging the new Dong Nai province. Weekly or even daily, they travel dozens of kilometers from Binh Phuoc (former) to rental rooms in Dong Nai in order to fulfill their duties. Therefore, it can be said that adjustments to social housing policy, made in line with today’s realities, will better meet the needs of workers. After all, stable housing is the foundation that allows every worker to feel secure in their livelihood and contribute to the development of both the province and the country.

By: Le Quyen

Translated by: Thu Hien - Minho