Ho Chi Minh City’s master plan is moving forward with a 100-year vision, and a central focus of this long-term strategy is the placement of affordable housing. The city aims to add nearly 200,000 social housing units between 2026 and 2030, a target that requires a clear spatial framework for their distribution rather than scattered development. According to the Vietnam Institute for Urban and Rural Planning, or VIUP, affordable housing needs to be woven into the city’s existing fabric and social infrastructure instead of appearing as isolated projects wherever land is available.
Architect Sam Minh Tuan, a consultant to the master plan, argues that housing development should be anchored in actual demand and technical infrastructure capacity. Priority should go to major employment centers, including new urban growth poles, industrial parks, and high-tech zones. Key areas for this approach include the Thu Duc-Di An-Thuan An corridor, industrial centers such as Thu Dau Mot and Ben Cat, as well as Nha Be-Hiep Phuoc and the Phu My-Cai Mep-Thi Vai-Long Son region.
The goal is to shorten the distance between homes and workplaces. This reduces commuting costs and ensures a stable labor supply for major development centers. Tuan also suggests that part of the land value generated by transport infrastructure investment be reinvested in affordable housing. This financial mechanism could prevent lower-income residents from being pushed farther away from public transport corridors. He explicitly stated that social housing should not be concentrated only on the outskirts.
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In the urban core and established neighborhoods, affordable housing could be expanded through the redevelopment of old apartment buildings, the upgrading of canal-side areas, and the use of public land. Priority should also be given to resettling residents on-site or near their former homes. This helps maintain access to jobs, schools, and existing community networks. Tuan emphasized that housing should be integrated into mixed-use urban areas rather than forming isolated housing enclaves.
Housing must come with essential services
A critical factor in site selection is the capacity of social and technical infrastructure. Each housing cluster must have access to schools, kindergartens, healthcare facilities, markets, green spaces, sports facilities, fire prevention systems, water supply, and drainage. Large concentrations of housing should be limited in areas prone to severe flooding or environmentally sensitive zones.
Housing products should be tailored to the needs of different groups. Industrial and logistics areas should prioritize worker accommodation, family rental apartments, and rent-to-own housing. University and healthcare centers should give priority to urban dormitories and small rental apartments for students, young workers, lecturers, doctors, and nurses. New urban growth poles should provide a mix of social housing for sale, rent-to-own units, and rental housing. Rental housing should become a long-term pillar of the city’s housing system.
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To expand the affordable housing supply, Tuan proposed establishing a citywide land bank. The full master plan should identify and classify potential land sources, including public land, land reserved for social housing in commercial projects, and land freed up after facility relocations. This approach would preserve flexibility without losing sight of social welfare objectives.
Rental housing should be a strategic pillar through 2030, according to Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh. He called for a shift away from a housing model focused mainly on commercial projects toward one that develops rental housing in parallel. Rental housing serves a broad section of the population and contributes to a more stable real estate market. Its development should be closely integrated with urban planning, industrial park development, public transport, and the labor market.