Hanoi (VNA) – After the peak campaign of 450 days and nights of relentless efforts to eradicate temporary and dilapidated housing nationwide, Vietnam has basically fulfilled the goal of ensuring “a home for our people” — completing it five years and four months ahead of schedule.
With 334,234 houses newly built or repaired and upgraded, Vietnam achieved the target five years and four months ahead of the target set in Resolution 42-NQ/TW dated November 24, 2023 by the 13th Party Central Committee, and four months earlier than the deadline set by a national emulation movement launched in April 2024.
This accomplishment is considered a milestone in sustainable poverty reduction — a “special national project” embodying the Party’s will and people’s hearts, as well as the spirit of solidarity and compassion among compatriots, carrying profound political, social, and humanitarian significance.
The mandate to “outpace time”
For many years, the Party and State have remained steadfast in pursuing national development alongside social security, never sacrificing social progress and justice for mere economic growth. Ensuring social welfare — especially for vulnerable groups, the poor, and those who rendered service to the revolution — has always been a priority.
On November 24, 2023, the Party Central Committee issued Resolution No. 42-NQ/TW on the continued reform and improvement of social policies, setting the goal of completely eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses for poor and near-poor households, those affected by natural disasters and climate change, as well as revolution contributors, by 2030.
Drawing on the experience of the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defence, the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF), mass organisations, and several localities, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Chairman of the Central Emulation and Commendation Council, launched a national emulation movement on April 13, 2024 that aimed to remove substandard houses by the end of 2025.
On October 5, 2024, PM Chinh kicked off a 450-day peak campaign to complete this goal nationwide before October 31, 2025. By closely following realities, the Central Steering Committee for the Eradication of Temporary and Dilapidated Houses decided to shorten the timeline, striving to complete house construction and repair for revolution contributors before July 27, which marks the War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day, and the whole task ahead of August 31, 2025 — in time to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (September 2).
The movement has received strong support from the Party, the entire political system, the armed forces, the people, as well as businesses and organisations. Localities have actively implemented programmes and projects to deliver housing support, especially for policy beneficiary families, poor households, and ethnic minorities. In addition to resources from the State budget, the programme has drawn significant contributions from social organisations, enterprises, and philanthropists. Many creative models have emerged such as businesses providing construction materials, local residents contributing working days, and mass organisations mobilising funds through community campaigns.
Countless hearts, thousands of joyful homes
After just one year, four months, and 13 days since the movement was launched, including 10 months and 21 days of the 450-day peak campaign, with many models and good practices adopted, Vietnam has finished the programme five years and four months ahead of the target set in Resolution 42, with a total of 334,234 houses constructed or repaired, and an overall budget of nearly 50 trillion VND (over 1.89 billion USD).
Several ministries and agencies have made significant contributions to the programme. The Ministry of National Defence provided nearly 1 trillion VND, mobilising 140,983 officers, soldiers, and militia with 414,526 workdays and 62,916 vehicles.
The Ministry of Public Security contributed over 790 billion VND, engaged more than 27,400 officers with 534,000 workdays, and supplied construction materials.
The banking sector donated about 1.81 trillion VND. The VFF Central Committee raised over 125.88 billion VND through the “For the Poor” Fund, while the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s chapters nationwide contributed 485,715 workdays.
Presiding over a national conference in Hanoi on August 26, PM Chinh praised the efforts by all sectors, Party committees, local authorities, business community, people, and armed forces to complete the work. He called for a thorough review to finalise social assistance schemes for households unable to escape poverty while expanding credit programmes to support impoverished rural families in upgrading their houses.
He also stressed the need to ensure safe houses for those living in areas vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change. Describing the nationwide campaign to do away with substandard houses as a special national project embodying the Party’s will and people’s hearts, PM Chinh said this is a Vietnamese “miracle” in sustainable poverty reduction, reinforcing the foundation for the nation’s development based on social equity, progress, and sustainability in the new era.
To build on achievements and improve social security, PM Chinh urged the Central Steering Committee for the Eradication of Temporary and Dilapidated Houses, the VFF, and relevant sectors and localities to treat housing support for revolution contributors, poor and near-poor households, and communities in disaster-prone areas as a long-term, regular task.
He stressed the need for continued assistance to help households secure stable livelihoods, aiming to basically eliminate poverty nationwide by 2030, in line with Directive No. 05-CT/TW, issued by the Party Central Committee's Secretariat on June 23, 2021./.
