Good models
For many years, the housing problem for workers has always been one of the social issues of concern. Salaries are still limited, living costs are increasing, and rents in urban and industrial areas are increasingly high, causing many workers to live in cramped rented houses, lacking utilities, far from workplaces or not ensuring minimum living conditions. This not only affects the health and spiritual life of workers but also directly affects productivity, labor quality and the stability of labor relations.
Therefore, the development of worker housing must be seen as part of the social security policy, not simply a cheap real estate construction activity. A true worker housing area must be associated with improving the quality of life, creating a civilized living environment, helping workers feel cared for, respected and have a long-term future at work.
At the end of May 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in housing development for workers and laborers in Ho Chi Minh City with Go Holdings Joint Stock Company.
Accordingly, the two sides will study, coordinate investment and development of housing projects for workers, laborers, low-income people and beneficiaries of social housing policies in Ho Chi Minh City; coordinate to prepare, complete and submit investment procedures, planning, land, construction and other related legal procedures in accordance with legal procedures and current legal regulations.
At the same time, the two sides will study investment forms, types of house products such as tables and chairs, water heaters and utilities such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, and internet. Living space not only meets the minimum needs but also aims for a better quality of life for workers. Suitable social housing, including rental, lease-purchase, purchase and/or other forms according to current legal regulations; coordinate in appraising and selecting cases that meet the conditions for purchasing, leasing-purchasing, and renting social housing in accordance with current legal regulations; ensure publicity, transparency, correct subjects and prevent acts of policy profiteering.
In the first phase, the two sides focused on coordinating research, promotion and implementation of housing projects for workers and laborers in the Binh Khanh - Can Gio area with an expected scale of about 3,000 units. Based on the results of the first project implementation, the two sides set a goal to coordinate to develop and complete at least 10,000 housing units for workers and laborers by 2030, contributing to the implementation of Ho Chi Minh City's social housing development goals.
If Ho Chi Minh City shows an approach through cooperation in developing social housing funds, the Coal industry brings another example: Businesses directly invest in collective housing, linking housing with a strategy to retain labor.
In the human resource development strategy, Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Holding Corporation determines that caring for workers' housing is a key and long-term solution to stabilize the labor force, especially the mining team. This is a force working in a heavy and hazardous environment, requiring health, skills and persistent commitment. Without good enough social security policies, businesses will find it very difficult to retain workers. The model of the 314 worker dormitory of Vang Danh Coal Joint Stock Company - Vinacomin is a notable example. The dormitory was put into use in 2012, including 4 rows of houses with 218 rooms, currently home to more than 400 workers. Each room is equipped with a closed toilet, beds, cabinets,
More notably, this collective housing area not only has rooms, but also a dining hall, library, four-season swimming pool, rehabilitation room, sports field, playground, canteen and outdoor training system. The arrangement of "happiness rooms" for workers to welcome families during short reunions also shows a humane approach: Workers are not only workers in production shifts, but also fathers, husbands, and children in a family.
Currently, the entire Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited has many units arranging collective housing for workers, with thousands of rooms mainly serving single miners and workers far from home. Some new projects continue to be implemented, such as worker apartments at Thong Nhat Coal, Ha Lam Coal, Khe Cham Coal, Nui Beo Coal. These projects show that worker housing is not a short-term policy, but part of a sustainable human resource development strategy.
Trade union companion
Despite many efforts, reality shows that the supply of housing for workers is still lacking compared to demand. In many industrial parks, the number of workers is very large, but the social housing fund and worker accommodation are still limited. Many projects face problems with land, investment procedures, planning, capital sources, construction costs and preferential mechanisms. Meanwhile, the selling price and rental price of social housing must be suitable for workers' affordability, otherwise it will be difficult to reach the right target.
The issue is that there needs to be a strong enough mechanism to encourage businesses to participate in developing worker housing. The State needs to prioritize clean land funds in areas near workplaces, shorten legal procedures, have preferential credit policies, exempt and reduce land use fees, and support technical and social infrastructure. Enterprises developing projects need to ensure reasonable benefits, but at the same time must commit to publicity, transparency, and the right beneficiaries, avoiding policy profiteering.
In addition, businesses that use a lot of labor also need to be encouraged to participate. This can be done by directly investing in accommodation areas, renting social housing funds for workers, supporting rent or coordinating with trade unions to review actual needs. When businesses consider housing as part of personnel policies, workers will have more motivation to stick with it, and businesses will reduce recruitment costs, retraining and labor fluctuations.
Trade union organizations play a particularly important role in this problem. Trade unions are places that clearly understand the needs, income, and living conditions of workers; at the same time, they can participate in supervising the appraisal and allocation of housing, ensuring the right subjects, publicity and fairness. The fact that trade unions proactively connect with businesses to develop housing shows that the role of representing and caring for union members and workers is being expanded from protecting rights in labor relations to participating in solving basic social security issues.
Models from Ho Chi Minh City to the coal industry show that when there is the involvement of trade unions, businesses and management agencies, the worker housing problem can find a more practical solution. The important thing is that commitments must be transformed into specific projects, specific apartments and specific workers to benefit from.
