This regulation is stated in Decision No. 11/2026/QD-UBND dated March 6, 2026 of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee on compensation, support and resettlement when the State recovers land in the city.
According to the decision, for land areas originating from rivers, streams, canals, ditches, streams or specialized water surfaces that have been encroached upon and self-changed for other purposes, land users are not compensated for land.
However, Ho Chi Minh City will consider supporting land, including both the leveled area and the area that has not been leveled but has houses, works or architectural structures.
The level of support is determined depending on the time people start using land for non-agricultural purposes.
If using land before October 15, 1993, people are supported 70% of the land price calculated for compensation for the type of land they are using.
In case of land use from October 15, 1993 to before July 1, 2004, the support level is 56% of the land price.
If land is used from July 1, 2004 to before July 1, 2014, the support level is calculated at 42% of the land price.
The area eligible for support is the actual land area being used for non-agricultural purposes but not exceeding the residential land allocation limit according to the regulations of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee at the time of approval of the compensation, support and resettlement plan. The area exceeding the limit (if any) will be calculated for support according to separate regulations.
For cases of using land for agricultural purposes, the support level is calculated at 70% of the specific agricultural land price approved by competent authorities.
The area eligible for support is the land actually used for agricultural purposes but not exceeding the agricultural land allocation limit as prescribed in Article 176 of the Land Law. The area exceeding the limit will not be considered for support.
The policy of supporting a maximum of 70% of land price for houses encroaching on canals and ditches is expected to help Ho Chi Minh City accelerate the progress of relocating houses along rivers, canals, and ditches.
In fact, according to a survey by the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies, the whole city currently has about 34,700 houses located on and along canals and ditches, but only about 1/4 have valid construction permits, while more than 73% are built without permits.
This is the biggest "bottleneck" that causes difficulties for many canal and ditch renovation projects, because most of these cases do not meet the conditions for compensation according to land regulations.
The city's issuance of regulations on support according to land price ratios, with a maximum level of up to 70%, is considered a harmonious solution between land management requirements and ensuring people's rights.
This support helps households have more financial resources to find new accommodation, reduce psychological disadvantages and increase consensus when handing over land.
When people's rights are clearly defined, local authorities will be more convenient in developing compensation plans, shortening negotiation time and speeding up site clearance progress.
This policy is expected to contribute to helping Ho Chi Minh City achieve the goal of relocating about 20,000 houses on and along canals by 2030, thereby improving the environment, embellishing the urban landscape and improving the quality of life for people.
