Despite strong demand for social housing, 92 percent of surveyed people who want to buy such homes have never submitted an application, mainly because they are deterred by concerns over complicated procedures and low chances of approval.

Demand for rental housing in Vietnam has surpassed one million units, prompting a policy shift that could open a new chapter for the country’s property market.

A number of concentrated social housing zones ranging from tens of hectares to over 150 hectares each has been included in Hanoi's master plan.

Hanoi aims to bring 25,000-27,000 social housing units to the market in 2026, exceeding the minimum target of 18,700 completed units assigned by the Prime Minister.

Hanoi has broken ground on one of its largest social housing projects, a development expected to provide about 4,700 affordable homes as the city works toward its long-term housing targets.

Ho Chi Minh City has begun construction of more than 6,200 social housing apartments, supporting the government's nationwide goal of building at least one million affordable homes.

Vietnam is preparing a new wave of incentives aimed at accelerating the development of long-term rental housing, as policymakers seek to address affordability challenges and rebalance the housing market.

Why must Vietnam shift from a ‘homeownership’ mindset to a ‘housing access’ approach?

Rental housing is becoming more popular in major metropolises, but businesses remain unenthusiastic due to long capital recovery timelines and interest rate pressures.

Demand for rental housing is rising rapidly, yet the market still lacks professionally developed rental projects.

Hanoi is racing to finalize a series of new policies on social welfare, housing, green transportation, low-emission zones and urban development in preparation for the implementation of the Capital Law 2026 on July 1.

Vietnam’s central bank has moved to encourage lending to social housing and industrial parks by relaxing credit growth calculations for participating banks.

A draft regulation under the Capital Law 2026 would allow Hanoi to create a dedicated social housing fund serving social welfare goals and addressing growing urban housing demand.

A bank employee in Hanoi revealed that he earns about VND55 million per month, a relatively high income today. But after many years of working, he still cannot buy a home.

Hanoi plans to break ground on a pilot rental housing project as early as June in what city leaders describe as a major shift away from the traditional mindset of property accumulation toward meeting real housing needs.

Rising property prices in Vietnam are turning the dream of homeownership into an increasingly distant goal for young workers.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has proposed studying rental housing policies lasting 15-20 years or longer as Vietnam seeks to reshape its housing market strategy.

Behind tightly closed corrugated iron fences are "golden" land plots abandoned for many years. Many real estate projects in Hanoi remain "frozen", though land was allocated to investors by the state a decade ago.

Huge demand coupled with scarce supply has led many people to become discouraged and abandon their intentions to purchase social housing in HCMC.