Streamlining the Social Housing Process: A 350-Day Reduction – Can We Make It a Reality?

Resolution 201/2025/QH15, passed by the National Assembly with a focus on reducing at least 350 days in administrative procedures for social housing development, marks a breakthrough towards the realization of the target of 1 million units by 2030. However, to ensure that these special mechanisms are not just confined to documents but are actually implemented, synchronized and aggressive actions are required from ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises.

Unraveling the knots

Resolution 201/2025/QH15, adopted by the National Assembly on May 29, 2025, signifies a turning point in Vietnam’s social housing development policies. With special mechanisms such as the elimination of bidding for investor selection, the waiver of detailed planning tasks, exemption from construction permits, and the integration of administrative procedures, the timeline for social housing projects has been shortened by at least 350 days. This is not only an impressive number but also a strong commitment from the State to guarantee affordable housing access for low-income earners, ranging from industrial park workers to teachers in remote areas, border soldiers, and the disadvantaged.

Transport, healthcare, and education infrastructure must be planned from the outset, following Singapore’s social housing model.

According to Mr. Le Huu Nghia, Director of Le Thanh Company (a social housing development enterprise), this policy has promptly untangled a series of administrative knots, saving time and costs for enterprises and offering home ownership opportunities to millions of people. Previously, the procedures for investing in social housing construction were so complicated that many projects came to a standstill.

Investors had to submit a feasibility report, encompassing basic and technical designs, and then wait for the appraisal of the Provincial Construction Department or the Ministry of Construction, a process that could take several months. Resolution 201/2025 has brought about a turning point by entrusting the authority of appraisal to investors, reverting to the progressive spirit of the 2003 Law on Construction and Decree 12. The State no longer monopolizes the design stage but allows enterprises to hire competent units to execute and audit the designs, ensuring the safety of the project while significantly saving time.

This move not only shortens the timeline but also alleviates the burden on managing agencies while enhancing the responsibility of enterprises. Mr. Ta Phuong Dai, Director of Tacons Investment Development and Construction Company, suggested that this policy should be applied not only to social housing but also to commercial housing and other constructions in the future. In fact, in the first five months of 2025, the country completed 22,649 social housing units, commenced 21 new projects with 20,428 units, and planned 9,737 hectares of land for 1,309 social housing locations. These figures attest to the initial effectiveness of the reform policies. However, to ensure that projects are not only swift but also of good quality, it is necessary to closely monitor the self-appraisal of investors to avert risks related to construction safety.

Nevertheless, as Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized, social housing cannot be located in remote areas or on leftover land. Projects must be associated with synchronous infrastructure, encompassing transportation, electricity, water supply, healthcare, and education. While Resolution 201/2025/QH15 has established a favorable legal framework, the challenge lies in how to implement these policies in a synchronized, swift, and effective manner. Without close coordination among ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises, there is a risk of delay in implementation.

How to expedite implementation?

To materialize the goal of reducing 350 days of administrative procedures and promoting social housing development, experts suggest that state management agencies should focus on three pillars: perfecting the mechanism, mobilizing resources, and strengthening supervision. The following are specific solutions:

Resolution 201/2025/QH15 has opened up a favorable legal framework, but detailed guiding documents from ministries and sectors are necessary to ensure uniformity. The Ministry of Construction should coordinate with localities to establish a digital “one-door” procedure, allowing online submission and processing of dossiers, similar to Singapore’s model. According to Mr. Le Hoang Chau, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association (Horea), the exemption of procedures such as bidding or appraisal of basic design should be applied uniformly to avoid the situation of “hot above, cold below.” Additionally, training programs should be organized for local officials to enhance their capacity to apply the new policy, especially in places where there is a misunderstanding of the beneficiaries of social housing.

Resolution 201/2025/QH15 is a strong impetus to bring social housing closer to low-income earners.

The State also needs to mobilize diverse and sustainable resources. The National Housing Fund is a step forward, but we should learn from China, where 70% of social housing capital comes from bonds and other forms. Vietnam could consider issuing social housing bonds or calling for public-private partnerships (PPP) with specific incentives such as tax breaks for the first five years, land use refund, or preferential loans. Private enterprises, being an important driving force, should be encouraged to participate through transparent and attractive policies.

Localities must prioritize allocating clean land near the center of urban areas or industrial parks instead of using land in inaccessible locations. Transport, healthcare, and education infrastructure must be planned from the outset, following Singapore’s HDB model. HDB is the Singapore government agency responsible for developing and managing social housing. For example, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, where the demand for social housing is substantial, should utilize public land or surplus land from administrative mergers to expedite project progress. The Prime Minister has emphasized the spirit of “6 clear” (clear person, clear task, clear time, clear responsibility, clear authority, clear result). To ensure this, a National Steering Committee for Social Housing should be established, with the authority to handle obstacles and monitor progress. Regularly publishing reports on project progress on digital platforms will enable the public and enterprises to supervise and prevent policy abuse.

Resolution 201/2025/QH15 is a strong impetus to bring social housing closer to low-income earners. However, translating this resolution into reality is a journey that demands resolute, synchronized, and creative actions. By drawing on the experiences of Singapore and China and combining them with specific solutions regarding institutions, capital, land funds, and supervision, Vietnam can certainly fulfill the Prime Minister’s directive, shorten the 350-day procedure, and achieve the target of 1 million social housing units by 2030. This is not just about housing; it is also about the State’s commitment to providing warmth, welfare, and equality for all citizens.