HCMC – Ho Chi Minh City is accelerating plans to diversify housing supply, including the construction of 70,000 social housing units for workers and the development of reasonably priced commercial housing projects accessible to most residents, city officials said on May 11.
Speaking at a voter meeting held by the HCMC delegation to the National Assembly, HCMC Party Secretary Tran Luu Quang said the city considers housing development a top priority as Vietnam continues revising the Housing Law to simplify standards and administrative procedures.
According to the city leader, the HCMC Labor Federation is coordinating with businesses to develop around 70,000 social housing units for workers. Under the proposed model, trade unions and employers would jointly support housing costs, allowing workers to live free of charge or pay only a small portion of expenses.
Alongside housing development, the city is investing heavily in transport infrastructure to improve connectivity between new residential areas and central districts, ensuring residents have convenient access to jobs and public services.
At the meeting, officials also highlighted the proposed Ben Thanh–Can Gio railway project, which could reduce travel time from the downtown area to Can Gio coastal area to around 15 minutes by 2028 if construction proceeds as planned. The project is expected to be completed within 32 months and could serve as a pilot model for high-speed railway technology before larger-scale rail projects are launched nationwide.
Tran Luu Quang also said the city is making use of special mechanisms and policies to improve the evaluation of public officials based on practical performance data while accelerating efforts to resolve long-delayed projects to create new growth drivers for the city.
