Ho Chi Minh City Approves $445 Million Urban Renewal Project for District 8
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has approved a proposal to redevelop the urban area along and on canals and rivers in District 8.
According to the proposal, there are nearly 15,000 houses built along and on canals and rivers such as Ong Lon, Ong Be, Can Giuoc, Ben Nghe, Kenh Doi, Xang, and Ruot Ngua in District 8. Most of these houses are in a state of serious pollution, disrepair, lack basic amenities, and pose high risks of fire, explosion, and landslides.
Notably, 14,950 houses along and on the canals and rivers have not been relocated, spanning 54 km across 10 wards. Of these, 9,440 are along the canals and rivers, 1,589 are completely on the water, 4,473 are partially on land and partially on water, and 448 are units in the old Pham The Hien apartment building.
The core objective of the proposal is to relocate all the aforementioned houses, along with investing in new resettlement areas and social housing projects, as well as renovating old apartment buildings, to provide better living conditions for the residents. Nine resettlement and social housing projects are planned for development. In addition to meeting housing needs, these areas will integrate various amenities such as schools, healthcare facilities, green spaces, and livelihood solutions for long-term stable livelihoods.
The proposal aims to dredge 36.5 km of canals and rivers, construct 73.1 km of embankments on both sides, develop 734,750 square meters of roads along the canals, add 102,731.8 square meters of parks and green spaces, and utilize 247,000 square meters of land for commercial and service purposes.
The proposal also involves restructuring land use planning and reviewing state-owned land that is not being used efficiently to invest in resettlement housing and social housing projects. It also plans to auction some commercial land to generate revenue for the state budget and reduce the pressure on public investment.
The total investment for the project of 14,950 houses along and on canals and rivers is estimated at VND 105,179 billion.
The total investment for the proposal is estimated at VND 105,179 billion. Ho Chi Minh City will utilize clean land resources for auctions and commercial housing development, with expected total revenue of about VND 105,913 billion, equivalent to the total investment cost. This will reduce budget pressure and ensure long-term financial feasibility.
A unique feature of the proposal is the integration of economic, tourism, and service development along the rivers. District 8 will study the development of a river bus route and organize regular cultural events such as the Spring Flower Market and the Fruit Week “On the Wharf and on the Boat,” combined with water tourism, art, and night-time economic activities, transforming the once-depressed urban area into an attractive destination in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has assigned the Department of Construction to be the standing agency, monitoring and synthesizing the implementation process, and promptly reporting and proposing solutions to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee to handle any difficulties and problems that arise.
Starting July 1st, the People’s Committees of the three newly merged wards in District 8: Chanh Hung, Binh Dong, and Phu Dinh, will begin implementing the tasks according to the proposal.
From 1993 to 2025, Ho Chi Minh City has relocated and cleared 44,338 houses along and on canals and rivers belonging to the four main canal and river routes and their tributaries.
Currently, Ho Chi Minh City still has 398 projects, river routes, canals, and ditches that have not been implemented in districts 4, 6, 7, 8, 12, Binh Thanh, Go Vap, Tan Binh, Tan Phu, Binh Tan, and the counties of Binh Chanh, Hoc Mon, Cu Chi, Nha Be, and Can Gio, with a total relocation scale of about 39,600 houses. This figure is according to reports from the People’s Committees of the districts and counties. The exact number will be determined after the Ho Chi Minh City Development Research Institute completes the social science survey.
Among the districts and counties, the largest number of houses to be relocated are in District 8 (14,950 houses), District 12 (over 2,956 houses), Nha Be County (4,452 houses), District 7 (over 4,000 houses), and Binh Tan District (3,396 houses).
To relocate and clear the above-mentioned houses, Ho Chi Minh City’s budget needs an initial allocation of VND 221,370 billion. Of this, the compensation, support, and resettlement costs for eligible cases are estimated at VND 130,680 billion.
For ineligible cases, Ho Chi Minh City will build social housing with an estimated capital of nearly VND 10,700 billion. The infrastructure investment, dredging, and improvement of rivers, canals, and ditches will require about VND 80,000 billion.
