The Government has issued a decree detailing conditions for those eligible for purchasing and renting houses built under social policy benefiting projects, according to the Vietnam Government Portal (VGP).

Under Decree 34/2013/ND-CP, the eligible include people with merits; public officials and civil servants working for administrative offices, business units, Party and union organisations; armed force officers and soldiers and workers working at industrial parks, complexes, production and service sites.

Low-income people, poor households in urban areas; disabled and lonely older people; those who return public houses; and households and individuals who have to resettle but yet have land allocated or resettlement houses will be the targets of social housing policy.

The eligible have to advance 20 percent of total value of the home.

Social houses can be resold or transferred after at least 10 years, the duration which will enable the owners to pay for the property and earn a housing ownership certificate.

Individuals who declare false information to purchase these houses will be forced to return the property.

The decree will take effect on June 6, 2013.-VNA