A series of projects started in 2026
Right from the beginning of 2026, many projects have been implemented simultaneously. Ho Chi Minh City has started construction of 2 projects with a scale of 2,652 units, completed 1 project with 580 units, and at the same time there are 11 projects under construction with nearly 9,700 units. 3 projects will start construction at the end of March 2026 (4,600 units) and 41 projects will start construction before June 2026 (about 29,200 units).
In 2026, Ho Chi Minh City aims to develop a large supply from many different channels such as independent social housing projects, 20% land fund in commercial projects, housing funds, projects of the armed forces, worker housing and sources from Trade Union organizations. It is expected that 3 more projects will be completed with about 1,300 units and 7 projects will complete the rough construction with more than 4,000 units.
By 2027, it is expected that about 46 projects will be completed and put into use, contributing significantly to the completion of the targets for the whole period.
Leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction said that the process of implementing social housing projects in the area still has many obstacles that need to be removed.
Typically, the determination of compensation costs, infrastructure and payment mechanisms when recovering 20% land fund. The investment policy approval process for land plots that have not been announced or managed by the State is still unclear. In case investors are renting land from the State, there are also no specific instructions on project implementation rights.
In addition, the 2023 Housing Law no longer strictly stipulates the 20% land fund ratio in commercial projects, leading to confusion in choosing the form of implementation (land allocation, payment or construction at other locations). Another issue is whether infrastructure investment costs from the State budget are included in the selling price of social housing to recover capital or not, which has not been clearly guided.
Faced with these difficulties, Ho Chi Minh City has proposed that central ministries and sectors soon issue specific guidelines to remove legal obstacles and create conditions to accelerate progress.
Fierce competition for social housing purchase slots
Looking at the above figures, it can be seen that the social housing deployment of Ho Chi Minh City is undergoing strong changes. However, the current supply is overloaded due to the excessive demand of workers. Typically, the story of the Ly Thuong Kiet social housing project in Dien Hong ward, Ho Chi Minh City, after receiving the notice of receiving applications, there were more than 12,000 applications registered for about 750 apartments in the social housing fund for sale and lease.
More than half of the apartments of the social housing project mentioned above are reserved for the armed forces (from the specific nature of the land fund). And only about 50% of the remaining apartments are allocated to other subjects. However, in this section, about 70% of the apartments are reserved for priority groups, including those whose land is recovered by the State to implement projects.
Mr. Le Hoang Chau - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association (HoREA) - said that one of the reasons for the sudden increase in the number of registration dossiers is that the new regulation has removed the criterion of residence. This makes people from many localities able to register to buy social housing in Ho Chi Minh City if they meet the conditions on income and housing. As a result, demand is concentrated in large cities, increasing pressure on a few existing projects. If a lottery is organized, it is necessary to "rent a stadium" to be sufficient for people in need.
In that context, according to economic expert Dr. Nguyen Duy Phuong - Finance Director of DGCapital - continuing to expand the target group for social housing purchases will cause "demand" to increase, while "supply" has not kept up.
