VietNamNet Bridge – The poor quality of resettlement houses and weak management capacity of the State offices have affected the lives of many displaced residents.

The poor quality of resettlement houses and weak management capacity of the State offices have affected the lives of many displaced residents.

Many have not forgotten the depression of the first floor of Dong Tau resettlement quarter in Ha Noi’s Hoang Mai District a year ago. Although the Ha Noi Construction Department and relevant agencies quickly dealt with the incident, concern for the quality of resettlement houses persists.

In addition to the Dong Tau area, many resettlement quarters in Cau Giay and Thanh Xuan districts are also in the same situation.

After many years of use, the quality of the buildings has deteriorated. The paint on the walls has started to peel and communal areas have become occupied, Ha Noi Moi (New Ha Noi) newspaper reported yesterday.

Around the buildings, there are many small shops.

Tran Thi Thu Huong, a resident living in Nhan Chinh Ward’s NB5 Trung Hoa building, said it took a lot of time to deal with problems regarding electricity, water or elevators.

Many apartments have been rented out as offices, greatly affecting the lives of residents, she said.

Hoang Trung Kien, chairman of Cau Giay District’s People’s Committee of Yen Hoa Ward, told the newspaper that the ward has three resettlement quarters, two of which are in use.

Recently they received many complaints about the quality of the buildings, public disorder and the health and safety of the shops around the building.

Fearing the poor quality of resettlement housing, many residents have been hesitant to move.

In Bac Tu Liem District, 50 per cent of apartments in the resettlement area remain empty, the Voice of Viet Nam reported.

There are floors without people, and many floors have only 1 or 2 apartments in use.

In fact, only about 15 per cent of the people living here are resettled residents, while the rest of the apartments are rented. Residents here said that tenants have been put off due to the poor quality of the houses.

Le Xuan Vinh, a resident in the CT1 C building in Bac Tu Liem District, said many families don’t want to live here because of the problems.

Problems with the elevators, water pipes and damp often occur, Vinh said.

Nguyen Thi Quyen, another resident said that she was very disappointed about her new home.

“The bricks of the floor are broken, the elevator is damaged and there are no schools nearby. My children have to study in an old one, it’s very far away,” she said.

According to the Ha Noi Construction Department, the city has 173 State-built resettlement buildings in use but the quality and management capacity remain poor.

Ha Noi Housing Management and Development Ltd. Co., which manages more than 100 resettlement housing complexes in the city, said that the current problems were caused by the low management fees and the operation of the buildings.

The surveys showed the fee for basic operation must be between VND4,000 and VND5,000 (0,17-0,21 US cents) per square metre per month. But in fact the residents living in resettlement areas pay only VND500 a month.

To overcome current issues, the city has instructed the Construction Department and relevant units to review the management of resettlement areas and propose solutions.

The city will implement the mechanisms to build commercial houses for sale to displaced residents instead of moving them to State-built resettlement areas. 

VNS