Hanoi has launched a programme to improve the housing conditions for families of those who ever rendered great services to the country’s reunification.

Under the programme, which will run until 2016, the city will help 4,423 such households build new homes with financial support worth 40 million VND (1,880 USD) for each. Meanwhile, 5,493 households will be given 20 million VND (940 USD) to upgrade their houses.

In the first half of this year, the city plans to spend 8.88 billion VND (417,360 USD) supporting 222 families to build new houses and 6.58 billion VND (309,260 USD) to assist 329 others to repair their houses.

As much as 80 percent of the total cost for the programme is funded by the State budget, with the remaining sourced from the city budget and community donations.-VNA