From a small recommendation on access to social housing (NOXH) for workers over 45 years old, the housing problem is raised in a broader context - both in terms of service life and the future of a huge aging labor force.
Currently, in many localities with concentrated industrial parks such as Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Bac Ninh, Da Nang, Hai Phong... it is not difficult to find workers who have been with the factory for 15-20 years.
They are a force that was once considered the "backbone" of the export industry, but when their working age increased, they faced a paradox: their income was not high enough to buy a commercial house, nor was it "rich enough" to buy a social house.
In many localities such as Khanh Hoa, social housing is currently mainly located in urban areas such as Nha Trang, Cam Ranh, Ninh Hoa - where land is scarce and housing prices are high. While industrial parks lack land funds and investors who are interested in building social housing.
This makes older workers, especially single workers, almost out of the picture, because rigid age and income regulations make them not a priority.
And this is no longer a matter of Khanh Hoa alone, but a common problem of policies for all localities. If the criteria for accessing social housing are not adjusted in a timely manner, Vietnam will face the risk of creating a generation of elderly workers without homes, having to temporarily live in degraded boarding houses, despite decades of contributing to the development of the locality and the country.
A humane and in-depth housing security policy will help this group of workers feel secure to continue working effectively. This is also a way for the State to retain experienced workers in the context of many industries lacking skilled workers.
The positive thing is that the dialogue in Khanh Hoa has opened a new direction. The government is committed to reviewing land funds, prioritizing investment in social housing projects near industrial parks, and coordinating with trade unions to monitor and ensure social housing reaches the right subjects.
Other localities need to take similar action in Khanh Hoa by opening forums to listen to workers, adjusting housing access policies according to the labor cycle, not simply applying a strict framework on age and income.
Caring for social housing for older workers is a test and a measure of the depth of social security policies. It is not just a matter of a roof, but a matter of maintaining the trust and long-term attachment of millions of people who have been and are silently contributing to building the country.
