In recent days, the weather in the Northern region has entered a period of heat, many places have recorded high temperatures. In this harsh weather conditions, many workers and laborers with low incomes are struggling to find ways to cope with the hot summer.
Recorded in Bac Thang Long Industrial Park (Dong Anh, Hanoi), many workers and laborers are living in cramped level 4 rented rooms with corrugated iron ceilings, heat-absorbing materials, making the inside even more tense. Limited income makes them unable to afford to rent modern rooms with better air conditioning or ventilation conditions.
Ms. Lu Thi Sam and her husband, who are working as workers in Bac Thang Long Industrial Park, said that because they cannot earn a living each month, they only dare to stay in a rented room of about 18 square meters with a rental price of more than 500,000 VND per month. During the hot summer days, the rooms were suffocating and did not have enough amenities, making the life of Ms. Sam and her husband even more difficult.
"My room is not air conditioned, many days it is hot, I can't sleep when I come back from work, and I can't sleep until I get to work. On days when the sun is too hot, I have to wake up to take a bath and then go back to sleep," Ms. Sam shared.
Also renting a room in Bac Thang Long Industrial Park, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Giang - who has just come to the industrial park to work said that because he has not received his first month's salary, he does not dare to rent a more spacious and comfortable room. Currently, Mr. Giang is living in a rental room of about 20 square meters, with a small area, no air intake, no air conditioning, and cooking indoors, so the temperature in the room is higher than normal. In addition, every time he cooks, the room is covered in a foul smell, making Mr. Giang feel very uncomfortable.
I have to turn on the fan every day to cool down, but I still feel frustrated and suffocated. Because we don't know how much we earn each month, now we just need a place to lie on our backs," said Mr. Giang.
With a more prosperous economy than Ms. Sam's family, Mr. Giang, Ms. Pham Thi Phuong Thao, who is a freelancer at Bac Thang Long Industrial Park, has installed a air conditioner for use in the hot season. However, from May 10, 2025, the electricity price was adjusted to increase by 4.8%, so the landlord also adjusted the electricity price of Ms. Thao's room. For low-income people like Ms. Thao, that increase makes them have to recalculate each expense.
"My monthly income is about 10 million VND. After deducting rent, electricity and water, I have to send money back to my children's hometowns, almost no money left. Now that the electricity bill has increased, I don't dare to turn on the air conditioner much, only when I go to bed do I dare to turn on for a while to save money," Ms. Thao shared.
Summer not only brings a burning heat but also a constant worry for many poor workers in urban areas. Lack of air conditioning, cramped rooms, increased electricity prices, all became a burden that required every penny spent to be carefully calculated. For them, prolonged hot days are not only a physical challenge, but also a problem of making a living in the expensive city.
