Speaking at the Vietnam Real Estate Market Forum (VREF) 2026, organized by the Vietnam Association of Realtors on January 9, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh said many projects remain entangled in legal issues or unfinished investments. The Government has recently issued strong directives to remove obstacles. Initial results show that 926 projects, with capital of about VND724 trillion, have been unblocked.

In 2026, authorities will continue efforts to resolve difficulties for remaining stalled projects. Preliminary assessments indicate that among more than 2,000 projects still facing obstacles, 248 projects are related to land issues; 479 projects are entangled in legal provisions under the authority of the National Assembly; and 208 projects fall under the authority of the Government, the Prime Minister, and ministries and agencies.

In addition, 1,104 projects face obstacles under the jurisdiction of local authorities involving land, investment, planning and related issues. Ministries and agencies will provide guidance to help localities resolve these problems. There are also around 80 projects facing difficulties related to BT (build-transfer) projects.

Sinh noted that many laws have been amended, including the Land Law, the Housing Law, the Law on Real Estate Business, and the Investment Law, with a focus on cutting administrative procedures, reducing compliance costs, creating more favorable conditions for businesses, and strengthening decentralization and delegation of authority to local governments.

The Government has proposed and the National Assembly has passed several resolutions to remove bottlenecks, such as Resolution No201 on special mechanisms and policies for social housing development, and Resolution No171 on piloting commercial housing projects through agreements on land-use rights. These measures have had a strong impact, boosting housing supply.

The National Assembly has also passed Resolution No254 to address difficulties in the implementation of the Land Law.

“In recent times, the Government has also paid special attention to addressing shortcomings in a way that makes housing more accessible to people. The key solution is to promote social housing development. 

“To date, there are 698 social housing projects nationwide under implementation, with a scale of about 657,000 units; 193 projects have been completed, and many others are continuing,” said the Deputy Minister.

In 2026, the Government targets bringing 160,000 social housing units to the market, with an average price of around VND20–25 million per sqm. 

“Compared with current market prices, this price level is considered appropriate,” he added.

Pham Thi Mien, deputy director of the Vietnam Institute for Real Estate Market Research and Evaluation (VARS IRE), said that in 2025 the market recorded more than 128,000 newly launched housing products, up 88 percent year-on-year and the highest level in the 2019-2025 period.

However, she emphasized that the mismatch between supply and demand continues. In some localities, mainly in the southern region, the supply of more affordably priced commercial (non-social) housing has increased sharply, helping locally improve market balance.

By contrast, in Hanoi, Da Nang and HCMC, the imbalance has become more pronounced. Although social housing supply has risen significantly, it still has failed to keep pace with the supply of commercial housing commonly priced above VND80 million per sqm.

Statistics show that in 2025, the market recorded more than 80,000 new apartment units, double the figure in 2024. However, about 25 percent of new apartment supply was priced above VND100 million per sqm, equivalent to more than 20,000 units, nearly 10 times higher than the previous year.

In Hanoi and HCMC alone, about 85 percent of newly launched apartment supply was priced above VND80 million per sqm. The segment structure continues to shift strongly toward luxury and ultra-luxury apartments, while affordable commercial housing is nearly absent from the market.

In related news, Hanoi Vice Chair of the People’s Committee Truong Viet Dung has signed a decision allowing Eresson Refrigeration Engineering JSC to change the land-use purpose of a 4,950 sqm plot at No9 Pham Hung Road to implement a mixed-use project comprising offices, commercial and service spaces, apartments, and a hotel.

The site is located in a prime position on the Ring Road 3 axis, opposite the Hanoi Museum, and close to several major residential and office complexes such as Vinhomes Westpoint, Keangnam Landmark 72, and D’Capitale Tran Duy Hung.

Hong Khanh