Binh Duong is one of the pioneer provinces in implementing low-income housing funds through the “Becamex Social Housing” project in 2011 – 2015, developed by the Investment and Industrial Development Corporation (Becamex IDC) and approved by Binh Duong People’s Committee. The project is to partially meet demand for housing and accommodation, allowing low-income residents to own an affordable apartment of quality.
According to statistics, at present, there are about 180,000 private-owned boarding-houses with total area of 1.8 million sq. metres, serving about 450,000 workers (average area of 4 square meters per person). Each year, the number of workers in Binh Duong increases by 20-30 thousand people and it is expected to reach 874 thousand by 2015. Being immigrants, they all have social housing demand. In addition, Binh Duong has 28 social housing projects, which, if completed, only meet a small percentage of labourers’ demand.
Becamex Social Housing is to partially meet demand of housing and accommodation for labourers in the province. Besides, it will help Binh Duong to retain its key labour force in Industrial Zones (IZs) to ensure that they are given priority and benefit from government policies. The bigger objective is to attract labourers for sustainable economic development.
Based on development features of IZs in Binh Duong, the Project has been implemented in Thu Dau Mot town, Thuan An town, Di An town, Ben Cat and Tan Uyen districts in the total construction premise area of over 1.3 million square meters, construction area of 511.8 thousand square meters, construction floor of over 2.7 million square meters. To help labourers with accommodation for settlement in Binh Duong, from now to 2015, Becamex IDC and its members will provide 64,700 apartments at preferential prices to over 164,000 labourers without accommodation working in provincial IZs. The project covers 37 accommodation areas in localities based on labour, population and housing demand status. Those living in social houses will benefit from common technical and social facilities in current urban areas.
Those having stable jobs in Binh Duong will be able to register to buy houses once certified by local authorities and their units and making payments as scheduled in the contract. The enterprises which want a stable, long term labour force can buy houses and transfer to employees through monthly salary deductions. However, this type of house cannot be transferred until 5 years after the contract signing. Explaining why Becamex social houses are not for rent or late payment with duration of 10 years like social house projects in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, Mr Nguyen Van Hung, Chairman of Board of Members cum Director General of Becamex IDC Corporation, said that according to calculation and survey, in 2015 there will be over one million people in Binh Duong having demand for accommodation. Therefore, Becamex IDC determines how to make “Becamex Social Housing” project better serve these people.
According to Mr Hung, to make the “Becamex Social Housing” project more effective, Becamex IDC has proposed that the Government make social investments in sport, health care, kindergarten, education and vocational training facilities to improve profession standards and quality of health and life for labourers, ensuring long term stable jobs. Apart from the existing funds (accounting for 30-50 percent) from labourers, the Government should provide funds to lend labourers (from 30-50 percent) so that they can buy houses at low interest rates, through housing development funds, housing saving funds, real estate investment funds, or poverty assistance funds.
Hoang Lam
Vietnamese
