According to the municipal People's Committee, demand for rental housing is expected to reach around 20,000 units by 2030, driven by population growth, an influx of workers from other provinces and administrative restructuring.
A city survey found that 47,822 workers need rental accommodation, equivalent to an estimated 15,000 apartments.
Another 4,300 households displaced from 177 ageing apartment buildings are expected to need rental homes, alongside demand for 500 units from students and 200 from civil servants and armed forces personnel.
To address the shortage, Haiphong aims to develop 15,000 rental units through housing projects, while encouraging households and individuals to build or upgrade another 5,000 units to meet required standards.
The city targets 1,000 new rental units in 2026, followed by 3,000 annually from 2027 to 2029 and 5,000 in 2030.
Worker accommodation in industrial parks will be a priority, with plans for about 6,724 units, including 3,924 at projects in the expanded Dai An Industrial Park service area and An Phat I Industrial Park.
Another 2,664 rental apartments are expected from social housing projects already under development, while new projects will be encouraged to reserve 10-20 per cent of their units for rent.
Authorities also plan to use public land, existing infrastructure and preferential credit schemes to reduce development costs and keep rents affordable.
Since 2021, Haiphong has developed or planned 67 social housing projects comprising about 85,000 apartments. Some 60,359 units are expected to be completed by 2030, exceeding the government's target of 49,400.
Thirteen projects include around 3,602 rental apartments, of which 747 have been completed and are ready for occupancy. Of these, 605 are currently rented, representing an occupancy rate of 81.31 per cent.
Monthly rents range from VND 59,000 to VND 105,000 per square metre.
Two worker housing projects in eastern Haiphong provide 1,340 apartments for around 4,800 people, while two western projects with 3,924 units are due for completion by late 2027.
However, most workers still rely on approximately 9,700 privately operated boarding houses, some of which fail to meet fire safety, sanitation and minimum living space requirements.
City officials said investment in rental social housing remains limited because incentives are insufficient, rents are regulated and investors face lengthy capital recovery periods.
