These houses do not have proper electricity or water systems and can collapse anytime. The narrow entrances to the houses are temporarily constructed with wooden planks.

The area's electrical system has critically deteriorated and does not ensure fire safety standards.

Most houses here are made from old corrugated iron sheets and wood, and piles of waste cover the surrounding areas.

Nguyen Thi Gai, 39, from the southern province of An Giang, said that her family has been living in a rented house in the area for ten years, with a monthly rental of roughly VND2 million (USD78.58). Every day, they experience the terrible odour of rubbish.

Nguyen Thi Lan, who has lived by the canal for 50 years, said she and her husband live on scrap collection. They often reuse many of the collected items.

The majority of the residents living in these houses are poor. Many homes even have an area of a few square metres.

HCM City has planned to relocate the households along Van Thanh Canal and upgrade the area. Under the recommendation, the project would require a total investment of VND6 trillion, and around 1,063 households would be relocated.