HCMC – HCMC plans to complete the renovation of aging apartment buildings by 2035, despite current delays caused by funding shortages, planning issues, and site clearance hurdles.
The city has decided to implement the renovation program for old apartment buildings in two phases.
The first phase, running until 2030, will focus on completing inspections, planning, investment preparation, bidding, and legal procedures, with priority given to the urgent demolition of 16 Category D buildings that require immediate evacuation.
The next phase, from 2030 to 2035, will aim to complete the renovation or reconstruction of all apartment buildings constructed before 1975, as well as deteriorating homes built between 1975 and 1994.
In addition to policies encouraging investor participation, the city also plans to allocate state money for tasks such as quality assessment, planning and approval processes, and site clearance.
At the same time, to streamline procedures, the city will delegate more authority to ward- and commune-level People’s Committees in handling documents and administrative processes.
According to the HCMC Department of Construction, the city is urgently implementing plans to demolish and rebuild 16 Category D apartment buildings, which have been deemed severely deteriorated and hazardous.
However, as of now, only 684 out of a total of 1,194 households have been relocated, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
The sluggish progress in renovating old apartment buildings stems mainly from dependence on private funding, compounded by the fact that most of these structures are located in central urban areas where planning revisions face significant legal and infrastructure-related hurdles.
Compensation disputes, site clearance challenges, and a lack of consensus among some residents are also contributing factors for the delay. Additionally, dealing with state-owned housing and land that have not yet been sold remains problematic due to overlapping and conflicting regulations.
