At a special session on October 28, the Hanoi People’s Council will consider a resolution allowing residents facing severe housing difficulties in the Old Quarter to buy or enter hire-purchase agreements for social housing without taking part in a ballot.
An area in Hanoi's Old Quarter (Photo: Manh Quan).
A review by the Hoan Kiem Ward People’s Committee found that 902 households, with a total of 3,621 residents, live in overcrowded homes where average floor space is less than five square metres per person. Each household has about four members on average, with several generations sharing less than 20 square metres of floor space, far below the citywide average.
Hanoi said the situation went beyond overcrowding and failed to meet minimum living standards, falling short of the goal of ensuring citizens’ right to lawful accommodation under Article 22 of the 2013 Constitution.
Most of these overcrowded properties are old, narrow tube houses deep inside small alleys, with limited or shared escape routes. Electrical systems have often been modified piecemeal, while many properties combine residential use with businesses and cooking facilities, making access difficult for firefighters.
Many buildings have deteriorated structurally but are located in conservation areas where extensions and new construction are restricted. Others are publicly owned properties rented to multiple households or buildings with several owners and shared facilities, making renovation difficult or impossible.
Most residents are low-income workers with unstable earnings who cannot afford commercial housing. Social housing is the most viable option, but under current regulations they must enter the same ballot as other applicants for each project, leaving them uncertain about when or where they might secure a new home.
In response, Hanoi said a solution must meet three objectives. First, it must prioritise the groups facing the most severe housing difficulties in the area. Second, it must guarantee an eligible apartment for every qualifying household through a mechanism allowing them to buy or enter hire-purchase agreements for social housing without a ballot, using housing stock allocated by the city.
Third, relocating residents would help ease population density and improve urban living standards in the Old Quarter and older parts of the city, in line with Hanoi’s approved master plan with a 100-year vision.
A view of Hanoi from above (Photo: Manh Quan).
The city aims to allocate up to 902 social housing apartments for sale or hire-purchase to approximately 902 eligible households, comprising 3,621 people. Each household would be guaranteed one apartment without having to enter a ballot. The programme would begin immediately after the resolution is adopted and reduce by a corresponding number the population living in overcrowded, multi-household properties in the Old Quarter and older urban areas.
Hanoi said it plans to allocate 552 apartments across nine projects in 2026 as an initial step.
The social housing projects are expected to have convenient public transport links, with priority given to locations near urban railway lines. They should also have integrated social infrastructure, including schools, healthcare facilities, markets and commercial services, and be completed on a suitable schedule. Apartment layouts should accommodate the average household size of about four people.
