Ho Chi Minh City authorities are relocating residents in deteriorating buildings built before 1975 to nearly 200 new apartments in the city.

Old apartment building on 727 Tran Hung Dao Street

HCM City People's Committee approved the proposal by the Department of Construction to use 61 apartments allocated to District 1 People's Committee to relocate the residents at 41 Nguyen Van Cu Street. The residents at 43 Binh Tay and 119B Tan Hoa Dong streets will be relocated to 128 apartment (? 128 apartments or is that the name of the building? If so should be 128 Apartments) in District 6.

According to the Department of Construction, about 474 old apartment buildings in District 1, 10, 3, 5 and 4 built before 1975 have seriously deteriorated and are a danger to the residents.

The department has proposed a plan to demolish and rebuild at least 50% of the old buildings by 2020. However, for the past decade, the city has only been able to demolish 32 old buildings where 4,000 households lived. Progress is slow and cannot meet public demand or the urban improvement programme.

The local authorities have reviewed the quality of the existing buildings. The Department of Construction was asked to build a new decision on compensating, supporting and relocating the residents.

In January, the Department of Construction has proposed to demolish two apartment buildings on 440 Tran Hung Dao Street, 128 Hai Ba Trung Street.

Thousands of households live in fear of their homes collapsing. They endure leaking roofs, and water seepage which is causing walls and stairwells to deteriorate. Many of the apartments, some dating back to the early 1960s, are too small and families have to cook in the hallways, creating potential fire hazards, while wet clothes hang on outside lines dangerously close to electricity cables.

Dtinews