Vietnam PM urges faster social housing roll-out, streamlined procedures, digital transactions

He made the call at the fifth meeting of the Central Steering Committee on Housing Policy and the Real Estate Market on Tuesday.

Social housing targets exceeded, gaps remain

According to the Ministry of Construction, Vietnam has exceeded its social housing targets for 2025 despite early concerns over slow implementation.

While only 43.6 percent of the plan had been completed at the time of the first meeting, progress gathered pace, and by mid-December 2025 the country was projected to deliver 102,633 units, surpassing the target of 100,275.

By December 31, the completion rate had reached 103 percent.

However, the ministry noted that 10 localities failed to meet their assigned targets, highlighting uneven implementation across regions.

Nationwide, 169,143 social housing units have been completed, most of which have already been sold.

Disbursement from the VND145 trillion (US$5.5 billion) credit package remained sluggish, with only VND6.228 trillion ($237 million) released as of November 30, including VND5.151 trillion ($196 million) for developers and the remainder for homebuyers.

Commenting on the results, PM Chinh said progress had been made but shortcomings persisted, particularly in rental social housing supply.

He also cited delays in public communication and limited efforts in some other areas as key hurdles to accurately assessing housing demand.

The prime minister stressed that housing policies must be people-centered, describing housing as a basic necessity and a pillar of social welfare that underpins political and social stability and sustainable development, especially for vulnerable groups.

Administrative reform, price controls, digitalization prioritized

To tackle persistent bottlenecks, PM Chinh called for a comprehensive review of administrative procedures, urging the removal of unnecessary and cumbersome requirements that raise costs and inconvenience citizens and businesses.

Ministries, agencies, and local authorities were instructed to meet social housing targets and help build a healthy and sustainable real estate market.

The prime minister also urged measures to rein in commercial housing prices, particularly apartments, bringing them in line with the country’s development conditions.

Credit flows, Chinh said, should be closely managed to support priority sectors while minimizing risks associated with real estate lending.

He assigned the Ministry of Construction to finalize a proposal by January 2026 to establish a state-managed real estate and land-use rights transaction center.

The center is expected to standardize procedures, adopt a one-stop and interlinked mechanism, and gradually shift transactions to an electronic environment to enhance transparency and efficiency.

The ministry was also tasked with developing and managing a national housing and real estate information system to ensure accurate, comprehensive, and well-connected data, as well as finalizing a draft decree on special mechanisms to remove obstacles to social housing development.

It was further instructed to review the establishment and operation of local housing funds and to formulate housing policies for middle-income workers earning more than VND20 million ($760) per month, while expanding supply across market segments.

The Ministry of Finance was directed to secure adequate financial resources and issue guidance on implementing social and rental housing policies, while studying measures to curb speculation and price manipulation and overseeing the use of local housing funds.

Meanwhile, the State Bank of Vietnam was told to push credit institutions to speed up disbursement for housing programs, including the aforementioned credit package, and to tighten control over real estate lending to prevent speculative capital flows and ensure credit is channeled toward reasonably priced housing projects.