People struggle to " temporarily live" next to an unfinished project
Sitting next to a wooden table set right next to the wood stove, Ms. Nong Thi Hien (60 years old, Pa Phieng village, Hong Phong commune, Cao Loc district) sighed when mentioning the three words "resettlement".
The level 4 house with a fibro cement roof that her family is living in is originally left by her brother-in-law. After her land was reclaimed for a resettlement project, 8 members of her family had to squeeze in to temporarily live here for nearly ten years.
"The house is covered with old corrugated iron, the ceiling is low, in the summer it is hot and hot, and when it rains, it leaks all over. The walls are cracked, the floors are damp, children have to sleep in the same bed, without separate space.
We have lived temporarily like this for all these years, waiting for the government to hand over the land to build a house, but we have not seen it for a long time," said Ms. Hien, her voice interrupted because she was tired.
Behind her was an old wooden bed, placed close to the mold walls, with a few plastic bags for clothes hanging on top. The house does not have its own toilet, nor is there enough water for stable use, every activity has to be saved little by little.
"Fortunately, there is still this house. There are families who do not have temporary housing and have to rent, the rent is up to 30 million VND/year, while the State's support is only limited to 9 million VND. How can I do it better?", Ms. Hien was sad.
Not far from Ms. Hien's house, the project to expand the Hoang Van Thu resettlement area, Dong Dang town - which was once considered a "residential destination" - is still abandoned.
From above, looking down, the internal road has been concreted, the lighting system has been installed, but all are located on a rudimentary, unsynchronized infrastructure. Only two households have returned to build houses, the rest are still empty and desolate.
The family of Ms. Hoang Thi Thanh - one of the few households that have moved to live - is still having to buy clean water according to the water bill, spending millions of VND per month, because the water supply system has not been connected.
"There are lights, but they are not yet lit. As for the water, the infrastructure of the resettlement area is not yet complete, so it has not been provided to the people, and we don't know how long," said Ms. Thanh.
The project is "suspended" after many adjustments
The Hoang Van Thu resettlement area expansion project was approved by the Lang Son Provincial People's Committee in 2014 with an area of over 4 hectares, with a total adjusted investment of over 70 billion VND.
The goal is to serve the resettlement arrangement for households whose land has been recovered in Dong Dang town and neighboring areas. However, up to now, the project has not been completed despite many adjustments.
Most recently, on March 31, 2025, the Provincial People's Committee continued to sign a decision to adjust the project completion time to September 2025 - which means it will take 11 years to implement a resettlement project compared to the launch date.
The cause was determined to be problems in site clearance, lack of investment capital and weak capacity of some investors. In the latest report, Cao Loc district said that there were 13 projects that were behind schedule for the same reason.
Every year, people have increased their hope and disappointment. The promise of clean land and enough electricity and water to stabilize life is always on paper, while the lives of households whose land is recovered are increasingly difficult.
"We don't demand much, just need a place to live, a place to call home. But all those years ago, it was just a promise and then went quiet. When will people be able to live up to their right to settle down?", Ms. Hien said, then turned into the house, pushing the rotten wooden door open and screaming in a dry voice.
Talking with reporters, the leader of the People's Committee of Cao Loc district said that the Hoang Van Thu resettlement area expansion project, Dong Dang town, Cao Loc district is built on an area of over 4 hectares, with the goal of expanding and developing the economy and society of Dong Dang town.
The project is invested by the Cao Loc District Construction Investment Project Management Board. Currently, the project is almost completed, with only a few small items left.
"On March 31, 2025, the Provincial People's Committee issued a decision to adjust the project implementation time, requiring completion in September 2025" - the leader informed.
