The Capital Expedites Old Apartment Renovation

Expediting Detailed Planning

In late 2024, the Hanoi People’s Committee issued Document No. 580/TB-VP, conveying the conclusions of Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee Duong Duc Tuan, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee for Old Apartment Renovation in the city, regarding the progress of the project and implementation plans for the renovation and reconstruction of old apartments in the area.

In this document, the City People’s Committee urged certain districts to urgently approve detailed planning at a scale of 1/500 for the renovation and reconstruction of old apartment areas.

Currently, the old apartment areas in the Hai Ba Trung district, including Bach Khoa, Thanh Nhan, and Quynh Mai, have completed the submission for approval of the planning proposal at a scale of 1/500 to the City People’s Committee, and will continue to submit the detailed planning design in February.

In the Hai Ba Trung district, it is expected that in April 2025, the approval of the planning proposal and detailed planning design at a scale of 1/500 will be submitted for 5 old apartment areas: Dong Tam, Minh Khai – Quynh Loi, Bach Mai, Dong Nhan – Dong Mac, and Vinh Tuy. The remaining 15 smaller groups of old apartments, with an area of less than 2 hectares, are also scheduled to have their master plans approved at a scale of 1/500 in the second quarter of this year.

In the Cau Giay district, by mid-2025, the Nghia Tan apartment area will be the first old apartment area in the city to complete the detailed planning at a scale of 1/500 for reconstruction in the 2021-2025 period.

Establishing and approving detailed planning for the renovation and reconstruction of old apartments is the first crucial step, paving the way for accelerating other tasks in the process of renovating and rebuilding old apartments in the capital.

Currently, there are up to 1,579 old apartment buildings and housing complexes in Hanoi, accommodating approximately 250,000 residents. In the inner-city districts, there are 20 apartment areas, 69 apartment groups, and 209 old apartment buildings that need to be renovated or rebuilt. Among them, many apartments have deteriorated to Grade D (the most dangerous level) and must be demolished and reconstructed, such as C8 in Giang Vo apartment area, G6A in Thanh Cong apartment area, A building in Ngoc Khanh apartment area, and the apartment area of the Ministry of Justice.

Anxious Anticipation from Residents

According to the master plan for the construction of the capital and urban planning, some existing apartment buildings do not conform to the approved layout (many locations of old apartments are planned as green spaces or parks; the approved architectural standards specify low-rise buildings of 1-5 stories, while the current population exceeds the planned population).

The limited number of stories and population density specified in the planning constraints make it challenging to ensure the efficiency of investment and attract investors to participate in the renovation of old apartments.

Regarding the inspection and evaluation process, some apartment buildings have undergone alterations and extensions by residents, making it difficult to assess their current condition; district authorities have not yet determined the boundaries of these apartment areas.

Additionally, the districts have not evaluated the technical infrastructure for fire protection, water supply and drainage, wastewater treatment, power supply, and internal transportation, nor have they provided requirements for urban renovation and embellishment, leading to difficulties in assessment and conclusion…

Furthermore, ongoing projects are progressing slower than the approved schedule due to disagreements between investors and residents regarding compensation, support, temporary accommodation, and resettlement. Residents have demanded excessively high compensation, making it challenging for investors to balance financial efficiency…

Since 2005, Hanoi has been working on renovating old apartments. However, due to various shortcomings and policy changes, the progress of planning and renovation has not met the desired expectations.

For the period of 2021-2025, the city plans to renovate 10 old apartment areas, including 4 Grade D areas – the most dangerous level, requiring urgent relocation of residents, such as Giảng Võ, Thành Công, Ngọc Khánh, and the apartment area of the Ministry of Justice; and 6 feasible areas for renovation: Kim Lien, Trung Tu, Khuong Thuong, Thanh Xuan Bac, Thanh Xuan Nam, and Nghia Tan.

Many families living in these old apartments also hope for a speedy renovation to live with greater peace of mind. Ms. Hoang Lan, a resident of the Khuong Thuong apartment area, shared that she and her neighboring families wish for the early reconstruction of their apartment building. Her family is even willing to rent a place further away to facilitate the renovation process.

Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Planning and Architecture, Nguyen Ba Nguyen, stated that they would continue to monitor the progress and implementation of the district-level People’s Committees, as well as any difficulties and obstacles they encounter, to provide support and ensure the timely development of detailed planning for old apartment areas, in accordance with the directions of the City People’s Committee.