Saigonese struggle to live in 2-7 sq m rooms

Hearing that HCM City is improving residential quarters and clearing up the matchbox 2-4 sq m houses in central business district 1, Nguyen Thi My Thu, 60, a resident of Cau Ong Lanh residential quarter, smiled happily.

Thu and her elder sister bought a 5 sq m room in the residential quarter 20 years ago at the high price of 20 taels. The house is cramped and there was not enough room to set up a toilet on the first floor.

To optimize the small space for daily activities, she divided the attic into two parts. The first part was for sleeping, while the remaining part was for washing and sanitary works. The top attic was just enough for a few miscellaneous items, and served as the sleeping place for the nephew and his wife.

After her sister died, the nephew and his wife left, and she has lived with the sister’s grandchildren. As she is old and not strong enough to take heavy work, she is earning her living by providing mini gas tanks.

She is often worried as her small and cramped house is full of mini gas tanks, which may ignite a fire. 

“I am aware of the risk of fire and explosion, so I am always very cautious. Luckily, the local authorities have provided fire extinguishers and installed an alarming system,” she said.

Tran Thi Le, 63, who lives nearby, also cooks on her mini gas stove to sell lunches in her 2.5 x 3m house. Her room is also equipped with fire extinguishers, and she has been trained in fire prevention and control skills.

To ensure safety, Le tries to arrange things in the most effective way. As the house is too small, she puts a stove in front of her house and pays highest possible attention to the stove when cooking. Inside the house, she restricts the use of electric appliances.

Bui Thanh Hung, deputy head of the security guard force in Cau Ong Lanh ward, said all the households in the ward have been equipped with fire prevention and control equipment. The equipment is either provided by the state or donated by benefactors.

An alarm system has also been installed in the residential quarter. When a fire occurs and someone rings the alarm, the entire alarm system will be activated. 

Love keeps them staying there

In Ma Lang area belonging to Nguyen Cu Trinh ward, the house of Dinh Ngoc Quyen, born 1971, just covers an area of 5 sq m on an alley which is so small that two motorbikes cannot be placed side by side. 

Quyen and her husband, plus the four dogs, face inconveniences every day.

However, Quyen never thinks of leaving the uncomfortable place. She told VietNamNet that even if the municipal authorities give them a larger house in another place, she would rather stay there than leave.

Though the house is cramped and uncomfortable, it is where her family has been living for decades.

Other households in the small alley also said that they don’t want to leave for other places. Nguyen Nhat Tin, 62, is one of them.

The 2x3m house has existed since his parents got married. He was born and grew up there and he intends to live there forever. The man still has many belongings of his parents and he celebrates their deaths every year.

On death anniversary days, Tin’s relatives gather there in the cramped house. But the house is just large enough to put a tray of food to worship grandparents and parents, while family members have to stand outside the house.

“I have lived here most of my life so I don't want to go anywhere else,” he said.

Thu and Le also think this way. Though Thu can make a modest profit of VND2,000 for every mini gas tank sold, she vows to stay there until she dies.

Thu fears that if she moves to another place, she will no longer receive support and sympathy from neighbors as she can now.

Le doesn’t want to leave, because she is not sure if she can earn her living by selling lunches. Currently, she has only 7-8 clients each day, and the clients are all neighbors.

Ha Nguyen