Ms. Duong Thi Thua (from Thai Nguyen) is renting a room with her 9-month-old child in Nhue village, Thien Phuc commune, Hanoi City. Her husband works as a motorbike repairman in Me Linh, often staying at work due to work requirements, and only returning from occasional days, so the rented room is mainly the home of the mother and child. The eldest child (this year in 5th grade) lives in her hometown in Thai Nguyen.
"The rental price of a room is 500,000 VND/month. Electricity bills at rental areas are charged at VND3,000/kWh, and she has to pay about VND700,000 per month for electricity. Including electricity and water bills, I have to pay about 1.5 million VND/month, Ms. Thua said.
After giving birth, Ms. Thua currently has no job and stays at home to look after her child. The whole family depends on her husband's income of 12 million VND/month. Previously, she rented 2 rooms, but only returned one to save money. With the amount of 12 million VND, having to raise a small child and many expenses, the couple had to calculate and spend carefully to ensure their lives.
Ms. Thua said that because each person is currently in a different family, she has no intention of renting a social housing apartment to have more space. "There are no such houses for rent in this area. But if I rent a social housing apartment, according to calculations, I can only accept the rental price of about 2 million VND/month, if it is higher, I will not rent it, Ms. Thua shared.
According to Ms. Thua, if she had to spend more money on renting a house, she would have to reduce other expenses, including living expenses, home allowances for her children's education, childcare expenses, etc.
Ms. Le Thi Tam is living with her husband and 2 children in 2 rented rooms. Although it is 2 rooms, the living space is very cramped, so she always hopes to have a more spacious place to stay for her family.
"With current income, buying a house is impossible. Therefore, renting a house is still the most feasible option. If there is a social housing rental house, not far from the workplace, with a rental price of above and below 3 million VND/month, I will rent it, Ms. Tam expressed.
Ms. Tam and her husband are both workers in Thang Long Industrial Park. The total income of both is about 16-17 million VND/month. This income is just enough to cover living expenses, making it difficult to save.
The rental fee for 2 rooms and electricity and water bills is a total of VND 2.1-2.5 million/month (of which VND 1 million is for renting a house, the rest is electricity and water bills). A month, she has to spend about 2.5 million VND per child. In addition, she also has to pay for food, living expenses...
Recently, she has only worked during office hours, not overtime. Therefore, she is entitled to a basic salary and no money for overtime. "With the total income of the couple now, with the rental of 5 million VND/month for social housing, I will not be able to afford it.
According to a survey by reporters, many families of workers in industrial parks in Hanoi prefer to rent accommodation in people's boarding houses because of the cheap price and convenience in living. Many families also want more spacious accommodation such as in social housing areas, but there must be a rental price suitable for their income. In addition, many people have saved money to build houses in their hometowns, so they plan to only work for a while in Hanoi, then return to their hometowns to stabilize their lives.
