Dong Nai is one of the localities with the largest land fund planning for social housing development in the country. However, there are quite a few land plots where it is difficult to deploy projects or that have not yet sufficiently attracted investors.

Recently, the Standing Committee of the Dong Nai City Party Committee agreed on a policy to plan and develop social housing projects near industrial parks and central urban areas in order to meet the needs of workers and residents, ensuring the fulfillment of social housing development goals up to 2030.

Large Land Fund but Lacking Compatibility

Over the past years, Dong Nai has identified social housing development as an important welfare task, tied to the goals of sustainable development and the process of industrialization and urbanization. The city has progressively perfected institutions, simplified construction investment procedures, expanded beneficiary groups, and planned a massive land fund for social housing development.

As a result, the achievements have been quite distinct. In 2025, Dong Nai fulfilled 112% of the target assigned by the Government. In the first quarter of 2026, the city continued to lead the country in the number of newly commenced social housing apartments.

According to Do Thanh Phuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Construction, Dong Nai currently possesses more than 1,100 hectares of land planned for social housing and worker housing development—including both independent land funds and the mandatory 20% land funds within commercial housing projects—making it one of the localities with the largest land funds nationwide. This fund is fundamentally sufficient to realize the social housing development targets up to 2030.

However, many previously planned land plots are located in rural areas, which are suitable for low-rise detached housing models. Meanwhile, the 2023 Housing Law stipulates that social housing must be developed in the form of apartment buildings, except for certain specific cases in ethnic minority and mountainous regions. Following its administrative consolidation, Dong Nai has become a locality with a vast development space. Aside from highly urbanized areas like Tran Bien, Bien Hoa, Long Thành, and Nhơn Trạch, a large portion of the remaining territory consists of residents who are still accustomed to detached homes. This makes investing in social housing apartments across many localities challenging, both in terms of actual demand and the ability to attract businesses.

Another bottleneck lies in the development of worker accommodation facilities inside industrial parks. Although Government Decree No. 35/2022/ND-CP issued in 2022 allows the construction of accommodation on the service land portion of industrial parks, the requirement to satisfy environmental safety distances means that suitable land funds are highly limited.

The city currently has about 300 hectares consisting of the 20% social housing land funds within commercial housing projects, but these have not been effectively exploited. The root causes stem from projects being entangled in legal hurdles or failing to complete technical infrastructure investments.

Given this reality, the Department of Construction requested the City People's Committee to assign the unit to comprehensively review the social housing land fund. It proposed considering 20% land funds that have completed infrastructure investments but face delayed execution, so they can be handed over to capable investors. Additionally, the Department of Construction proposed prioritizing the allocation of more land funds near industrial parks and in central urban areas where demand is high, infrastructure is synchronous, and transport connectivity is favorable for social housing.

Building Rental Housing Near Industrial Parks

Recently, the Central Government issued directives to robustly develop rental housing in major cities and localities with high concentrations of industrial workers.

Specifically, in Notice No. 64-TB/VPTW dated May 22, 2026, from the Office of the Party Central Committee, the conclusions of General Secretary and President To Lam pointed out that the housing segment affordable for middle-income and low-income earners has not yet received adequate attention; the supply of social housing remains deficient and is rationally misallocated. Many projects are not yet integrated with essential social infrastructure; land fund planning lacks synchronization with areas harboring high labor concentrations; and enterprises still lack sufficient motivation to actively participate in the social housing and affordably priced housing segments.

Decision No. 973/QĐ-UBND issued by the Dong Nai People's Committee in late March 2026 sets the goal: The 2021-2030 period must deliver at least 67,000 social housing units. Priority areas for social housing development include zones surrounding Long Thanh International Airport, areas near industrial parks, free trade zones, and central regional urban centers.

Therefore, the Central Government's orientation is that the State will not subsidize housing entirely, nor will it leave the market completely self-regulated. The State shapes institutions, planning, and mechanisms so that this market develops transparently and healthily, ensuring that businesses earn reasonable profits and citizens can access housing within their paying capacity. Along with that, the State will develop rental housing through a long-term strategy to serve groups with massive housing demands who do not yet have the financial capacity to buy homes, such as workers, young laborers, students, cadres, civil servants, and the armed forces.

During a working session on the afternoon of May 25 with ministries, central sectors, and Hanoi City, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung requested the Ministry of Construction to proactively coordinate with major cities—including Dong Nai City—to determine rental housing needs as a basis for planning and resource allocation. The Ministry is to lead and coordinate with ministries, agencies, and localities to research and propose specific targets for rental housing development across the country.

Immediately following these directives, on the afternoon of May 26, the Party Committee of the City People's Committee reported and proposed, and subsequently received consensus from the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee on the policy to plan and develop social housing near industrial parks with high concentrations of workers. In the immediate term, this will focus on "hotspots" of housing demand, specifically the Amata and Nhon Trach industrial parks, alongside other areas with high demand.

Concurrently, the city tasked the Department of Construction to continue reviewing land plots near urban centers and industrial parks to expand the land fund for rental housing development. This will help industrial workers, cadres, civil servants, and public employees access housing at reasonable costs, ensuring better settlement stability for the city.

Dong Nai is aiming to become a new industrial, logistics, and service hub of the Southeast region and an important growth pole of the entire nation. This development process naturally brings about an expanding housing demand, particularly for workers, laborers, and low-income earners. Ensuring an appropriate land fund and developing diverse housing types—including rental housing in high-demand locations—is the key solution to swiftly achieving the goal of ensuring housing for all citizens, contributing to the harmonious and sustainable development of the city.

 

Hoàng Lộc

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/