HÀ NỘI — Reforms on piloting specific policies and mechanisms to fast-track social housing development and reduce procedure time were outlined by Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Monday.

He was speaking at a conference in Hà Nội on implementing Resolution 201/2025/QH15.

The Ministry of Construction has announced a sweeping reform to accelerate the development of social housing schemes, aiming to reduce construction-related administrative procedures by at least 350 days. 

Under this resolution, several procedural bottlenecks will be eliminated or streamlined. These include assigning projects directly to investors without the need for bidding, removing the requirement for detailed planning tasks, abolishing basic design and price appraisals, exempting construction permits and integrating multiple administrative processes. These changes are intended to significantly reduce bureaucratic delays and speed up housing delivery.

PM Chính also stressed the urgency and importance of effective implementation. 

He directed ministries, local authorities, and relevant agencies to act decisively and avoid misuse of preferential housing policies for personal gain.

“No organisation or individual should take advantage of the Party and State’s social housing incentives,” the Prime Minister said.

“We must act with high determination, great effort, and focused execution - assigning tasks clearly, with well-defined responsibilities and deadlines.”

Resolution 201/2025/QH15 introduces several groundbreaking measures. Notably, it allows for the creation of a National Housing Fund and expands the eligibility to include enterprises, Government agencies, and socio-political organisations. 

These entities will be permitted to lease social housing for their employees, including foreign workers, addressing housing needs for a broader segment of society.

The resolution also calls for unified leadership from ministries and branches to localities to ensure consistency and effectiveness in implementation. 

The Prime Minister instructed delegates to agree on a clear set of tasks and solutions, beginning immediate implementation without delays.

The national social housing programme is already showing signs of progress. As of May 2025, 1,309 locations spanning nearly 9,737ha have been earmarked for social housing projects. 

A total of 679 projects, representing 623,051 housing units, are underway nationwide. Of these, 108 projects with the supply of 73,075 units have been completed, while 571 are in various stages of implementation. 

In the first five months of 2025 alone, 22,649 units have been delivered and construction has begun on an additional 20,428 units across 21 new projects.

These efforts align with Decision No 338/QĐ-TTg, issued in April 2023, which set a target of completing at least one million social housing units by 2030, with 100,000 units expected by the end of 2025.

Despite encouraging developments, the Prime Minister acknowledged ongoing challenges, particularly in administrative complexity and legal hurdles. 

In response, the Government has enacted more than 25 legal decrees and submitted revisions to key laws such as the Housing Law, Land Law, and Real Estate Business Law. Additionally, 22 government resolutions and 12 prime ministerial directives have been issued to guide the execution of social housing policy. — VNS