Creating new living spaces through resettlement project

“A home is not just a place that provides shelter from the rain and sun. It is also an asset and a place filled with family memories. My children and I agreed to pull down our three houses so that other families can have a stable place to live,” said Nguyen Bao Quoc, a resident of Huong Phuoc Quarter in Phuoc Tan ward.

Representatives of Phuoc Tan ward and the city’s Land Fund Development Center (LFDC) explain the project and encourage a household in Huong Phuoc Quarter to hand over the land.

Quoc's family is not alone. In the area where the resettlement project covering more than 49ha is being developed in Phuoc Tan ward, many families are dismantling their homes and moving their belongings to hand over land for the project. Every house that is demolished brings a sense of loss. More importantly, however, residents understand that the land they hand over today will help create new homes and a better life for thousands of other people.

Residents' support

Nguyen Bao Quoc's family owns more than 700sq.m of land in Huong Phuoc Quarter, Phuoc Tan ward, where they have three houses. The homes have been part of the family's life for many years. When Quoc learned that the land fell within the project area, he felt sad and worried. After local authorities explained the project's goals and significance, his family agreed to receive compensation, dismantle the houses, move their belongings and hand over the land.

“The sooner we hand over the land, the sooner the State can use it to build the resettlement area. That is why I encouraged my children to join me in dismantling the houses and handing over the land,” Quoc said.

Also in Huong Phuoc Quarter, Nguyen Van Men’s family has recently completed relocating their belongings, dismantling the house and handing over the land. The property was inherited from his parents and had been part of the family's life for decades.

The Phuoc Tan Resettlement Area project, covering more than 49ha, has a total investment of over VND1.1 trillion from the State budget. It includes 1,066 resettlement plots for households whose land is acquired for the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway project and other projects in Phuoc Tan ward and neighboring areas.

“A home that you have lived in for many years naturally holds many memories, so leaving it is not easy. But after the project was explained to us, I realized that the land our family hands over will be used to build a large resettlement area. Pulling down our house so that other families can have a stable place to live gives our decision meaning,” Men said.

Stories like those of Quoc and Men are common in the project area. Residents naturally feel a sense of loss when they have to leave homes where they have lived for many years. More importantly, however, they understand that the land they hand over today will help create a new residential community.

Nguyen Quoc Vuong, Vice Chairman of Phuoc Tan ward People's Committee, said the ward needs to acquire land from nearly 300 households for the resettlement project. So far, the ward has approved all compensation, support and resettlement plans and handed over about 97% of the acquired land. Around 20 households have yet to hand over their land. The local authorities are working with the LFDC and relevant agencies to continue informing residents about the project, encouraging their cooperation and addressing individual concerns. The goal is to complete site clearance in August 2026.

Vo Thi Truc Bien, an official from the LFDC, said most residents support the project. However, some cases remain unresolved because houses were built on land belonging to other people or structures were built on agricultural land, meaning the households are not eligible for resettlement under current regulations. For each case, officials need to understand the land's origin, how it has been used, the family's circumstances and the residents' concerns so they can provide appropriate explanations and guidance.

Creating new living spaces for thousands of people

The Resettlement Area, covering more than 49ha in Phuoc Tan ward, is one of the largest resettlement projects currently being developed in the city. The project includes more than 1,000 resettlement plots and high-rise residential buildings, and is expected to provide homes for around 8,000 people. It is an important land reserve for resettling people affected by key projects in Phuoc Tan Ward and surrounding areas.

According to Huynh Tan Loc, Deputy Director of the LFDC, the more than 49ha resettlement area is being developed with modern technical and social infrastructure to create a safe, civilized and sustainable living environment. The project will provide good living conditions, a clean environment and access to essential social infrastructure, gradually creating a stable residential community.

Loc said that, besides the efforts of government agencies, the support of people whose land is acquired is essential to keeping the project on schedule. Construction of the technical infrastructure is now underway across the site. Contractors are working three shifts a day in four teams to speed up construction. About 450 resettlement plots are expected to be handed over by September 30, 2026, with the remaining plots scheduled for handover by the end of the year, bringing the total to more than 1,000 plots.

Nguyen Quoc Vuong, Vice Chairman of Phuoc Tan ward People's Committee, added that transparency in policies, clear explanations of people's rights and obligations, and listening to each individual case are crucial to site clearance. For this reason, the ward Party Committee and People's Committee have established four teams to inform residents about the project and encourage their cooperation. Each team has five to six members who meet and talk directly with local households.

A new resettlement area, where many families once lived, is gradually taking shape. Encouragingly, many of those who are giving up their land for the project today will also become residents of this resettlement area in the future. Before long, narrow roads and old houses will give way to a new resettlement area with modern infrastructure, better living spaces and improved access to essential services. That is also what residents hope for, a new home that is at least as good as, or better than, the one they leave behind.

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