In a rented room just enough to fit a bed, wardrobe and a cooking corner, Le Thi Tram's family (from Gia Lai, currently working as a worker in Tam Thang Industrial Park, Da Nang) has to manage living, raising children, and resting after long shifts. That temporary living space should only be a short-term solution, but for many workers, it has lasted for many years.
This situation was raised by Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Lan - Vice Chairwoman of the City Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee at the Da Nang City People's Council meeting, held on July 30-31.
According to Ms. Thu Lan, the housing demand of workers is currently very large, while the supply has not met reality. Many workers have to rent rooms in cramped conditions, lacking essential social services; access to social housing is difficult due to complicated appraisal procedures.
Ms. Lan proposed that the city study specific policies to promote the development of social housing, worker housing, support loan interest rates and create conditions for businesses to invest in dormitories for workers.
This reflection shows that worker housing is no longer a private story of each family, but has become an urgent livelihood issue, directly affecting the quality of human resources and the sustainable development capacity of the city.
Ms. Phan Thi Kim Oanh, a worker at Mabuchi Motor Da Nang Co., Ltd., said that the selling price and rental price of social housing currently still exceed the capacity of most workers. With an income of about 6-8 million VND per month, after paying for rent, food, travel and raising young children, the remaining amount is almost not enough to accumulate.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Hai, Bac My An Tourist Area Joint Stock Company, many workers have submitted applications to buy social housing through many rounds but have not been selected because the number of registered people is too large. He proposed that the city increase the housing fund quickly, and at the same time study and allocate targets suitable for each industry group, instead of mass draws, causing workers to wait in vain.
Even the temporary accommodation of workers is also revealing many inadequacies. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Long, Keyhinge Toys Vietnam Co., Ltd., reflected that many boarding areas have deteriorated, rooms are cramped, electricity and water systems are unsafe, and the risk of fire and explosion is always present.
Workers hope the city will soon issue a set of standards for boarding houses, support homeowners to borrow capital to renovate infrastructure, control rental prices, and at the same time have policies to support housing, electricity, and water for workers in difficult circumstances.
According to the Da Nang City Department of Construction, by the end of 2025, the city will have about 20,000 social housing units; of which the local budget has invested about 3,500 billion VND to build more than 11,000 units. In the coming period, Da Nang identifies to implement 36 projects with about 31,000 units.
However, these figures are only truly meaningful when workers can access them. If selling prices are still high, loans are not appropriate, procedures are still complicated, and migrant workers have not fully benefited, social housing is still just a "dream on paper".
