Dong Nai's breakthrough in worker housing development

As one of Vietnam's largest industrial centers, Dong Nai City attracts around 800,000 industrial workers employed in its industrial parks and clusters. Approximately 60–70 percent of them come from other provinces and cities, creating strong demand for affordable housing.

In recent years, the city has introduced a range of measures to expand housing for workers. As a result, the scale, implementation pace and investment models of worker housing projects have improved significantly, gradually translating the goal of providing stable homes for low-income residents closer into reality.

Major housing projects gather pace

At the beginning of 2026, construction began on a new social housing project in Phuoc An commune, marking another milestone in the city's 2026–2030 housing development program. Located near the Nhon Trach I, II, III, V and VI industrial parks, the project covers more than 2 hectares and will provide over 1,500 apartments, accommodating approximately 2,600 residents. According to the developer, apartment prices will start at around VND450 million.

A low-income housing project under construction in Long Hung ward.

Vu Hong Minh, General Director of Water Electrical Installation and Construction JSC, said construction began immediately after the groundbreaking ceremony, with workers and equipment mobilized to accelerate progress.

The project has completed static load testing of the trial piles, with mass piling work for Block A now in progress. Block A is expected to be completed and handed over in the third quarter of 2027, while the entire project is scheduled for completion in early 2028. Alongside construction, work is also underway on technical infrastructure, electricity and water supply systems, and land use rights certification to ensure the project will operate smoothly upon completion.

Meanwhile, in Long Binh ward, the Dong Nai City Construction Investment Project Management Board (the Board) is developing a housing project comprising 10,000 apartments for industrial workers and low income residents, with the first phase delivering 1,000 units.

Nguyen Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Board, said six industrial parks employing more than 257,000 workers are located within a 5–7-kilometer radius of the project. Based on estimates that around 60 percent of these workers require housing, more than 154,000 people are in need of housing.

To meet the workers’ diverse needs, the project will offer apartments ranging from 25 to 63 square meters. Durable, low-maintenance construction materials have been selected to reduce repair costs throughout the buildings' projected 50-year service life.

According to the investor, the completed project will include essential amenities such as schools, parks and other public facilities.

"Our original schedule was to complete the project within four years. However, at the request of the Dong Nai City Party Committee (CPC) and People's Committee, we are mobilizing maximum resources and working closely with relevant agencies to shorten construction to around one year in order to meet the urgent housing needs of workers and local residents," Tuan said.

During a working session with Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and a Government delegation in mid-June 2026, Vu Hong Van, Member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC said the city would continue prioritizing investment in social infrastructure, including worker housing, to better balance economic and social development.

According to the Dong Nai Department of Construction, 19 housing projects for low-income residents are currently under construction, providing more than 12,000 apartments. Most are located near industrial parks where large numbers of workers are employed. Once completed, these projects are expected to provide stable housing for low-income residents, help attract and retain workers, enhance the appeal of the city's investment environment and support sustainable socio-economic development.

Expanding land banks for housing development

Under its development plan through 2030, Dong Nai is expected to have 89 industrial parks along with numerous industrial clusters. As industrialization and urbanization continue, housing demand is projected to rise significantly.

Recognizing housing development for workers in particular and residents in general as a key political priority, the city has focused on removing bottlenecks related to land availability, planning and investment procedures.

Among the key measures is the application of "priority green lane" mechanism that has reduced investment approval times by around 50 percent, helping accelerate project implementation. The city has also introduced policies to partially subsidize infrastructure investment for affordable housing projects serving low-income and priority groups.

As a result, Dong Nai achieved 112 percent of the worker and social housing target assigned by the Prime Minister in 2025.

For 2026, the city has been assigned a target of completing more than 8,000 apartments. To date, nine projects have either broken ground or completed apartment units, providing nearly 8,000 apartments, the highest annual total ever recorded. In addition, 16 more projects totaling over 11,500 apartments are scheduled to begin construction during the second half of the year. Of these, large-scale projects are concentrated in localities with numerous industrial parks, such as Phuoc An, Nhon Trach, Long Binh and Trang Bom, where demand for worker housing is high.

The Resolution of the Dong Nai Provincial (now City) Party Congress for the 2025–2030 term sets a target of building 65,000 worker and social housing units during the period. So far, the city has appointed investors for 43 projects totaling 46,800 apartments. Between now and the end of 2026, the Department of Construction will coordinate with relevant departments and sectors to advise the city to approve investment policies and select developers for an additional 18,200 apartments.

Nguyen Van Ut, Deputy Secretary of the CPC and Chairman of the Dong Nai People's Committee, emphasized that developing worker housing and social housing remains a key long-term political priority aimed at helping workers and low-income residents secure stable housing and improve their quality of life.

The CPC’s Standing Board has also approved plans to develop rental housing projects near industrial parks while reviewing urban planning to expand land banks for future housing development.

In the coming years, Dong Nai will continue implementing rental social housing projects in Nhon Trach, Long Thanh, Trang Bom, Bien Hoa, Binh Phuoc and other key economic growth areas. Alongside creating sufficient land banks and ensuring synchronized technical and social infrastructure, the city will maintain its "priority green lane" mechanism to shorten processing times for administrative procedures and work closely with investors to promptly resolve obstacles and accelerate project implementation.

With the goal of building 65,000 worker and social housing units by 2030, Dong Nai is steadily moving toward ensuring that every resident has access to adequate housing, while aligning housing development with industrial development to strengthen social welfare, improve living standards and support sustainable socio-economic development.

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