On the evening of November 16, hundreds of people gathered outside the application site for the CT3 social housing project in Kim Chung urban area, located in Thien Loc Commune, Hanoi, determined to secure a spot in line when applications officially opened the next morning.

Although the Hanoi Department of Construction had announced November 17 as the start date for receiving applications, by late afternoon on the 16th, crowds had already formed at the Culture, Information, and Sports Center in Thien Loc. Many brought water, food, folding chairs, and blankets, prepared to spend the night outdoors.

By 11 p.m., more people continued to arrive. Applicants began passing around sheets of paper to record their personal information and self-organize a queue.

At midnight, representatives from the first group began calling out names based on the self-managed list created earlier in the evening.

Many said they were willing to forgo sleep for a chance to buy a home in the capital. For hundreds of applicants, submitting their paperwork was the first step toward making their dream of settling in Hanoi a reality.

Inside the cultural center, the project developer had set up a well-organized environment to receive applications starting at 8 a.m. on November 17. The layout featured clear signage, designated lanes, and support staff stationed at the entrance to guide applicants through the process.

A notable addition was an automated queuing system, allowing applicants to take a number, register, and receive an appointment slip for submitting their documents.

Nguyen Thanh Trung, Director of the CT3 Kim Chung social housing project management board, told VietNamNet that the application window would run from November 17, 2025, to January 3, 2026. However, based on application volumes, the timeline could be extended to accommodate high demand.

He assured applicants that no one would be overlooked during the process.

For incomplete or non-compliant applications, applicants would be given clear instructions to revise and resubmit, ensuring convenience while maintaining transparency and fairness.

“Everyone can take a number from the machine - there could be thousands of turns each day,” Trung said.

He also noted that police had been invited to oversee the site, maintain security, and prevent fraud or exploitation of the process.

“Our goal is to ensure everything is handled objectively, transparently, and as conveniently as possible,” Trung emphasized.

The CT3 project, part of the Kim Chung New Urban Area, is jointly developed by the Hanoi Housing Development and Investment Corporation and Viglacera Corporation. It comprises three buildings ranging from 9 to 12 stories, with a construction density of 33.78%, a projected population of 3,900, and a total floor area of approximately 109,410 square meters.

The project includes 1,104 apartments, of which 929 are designated as social housing. Specifically, 589 apartments (58.9–64m²) are for sale, 212 units (49.5–59.24m²) for rent, and 128 units (58.9–59m²) under rent-to-own terms.

The provisional sale price is 18.4 million VND/m² (approximately 755 USD/m²), including VAT and maintenance fees. The rental rate is 91,700 VND/m²/month (about 3.77 USD), while rent-to-own rates are 312,860 VND/m²/month (roughly 12.81 USD).

The Department of Construction emphasized that these rates are provisional. Final pricing will be approved by the developer according to current regulations.

Sales contracts are expected to be signed in Q1 2026, with handovers scheduled for Q4 2026.

Hong Khanh