A low-cost apartment block for workers in Phu Hoa in the southern province of Binh Duong (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Developers in the southern region are ignoring the workers’ housing segmentdespite the huge demand for it, analysts said.
Pham Thi Lai, a worker in thesouthern Long An province, said she and her husband had been working for over adecade but still rent a tiny house.
No workers’ housing projects wereplanned in their area, and they could not afford to buy a commercial house, shesaid.
Developers built industrial zoneswithout housing for workers, she added.
Lai is just one of thousands ofworkers at industrial zones in southern provinces, and most lease smalldwellings to live, the only housing they can afford.
The southern region is a magnetfor industrial workers due to the huge investment by foreign investors anddevelopment of numerous industrial zones.
For instance, in Duc Hoa communein Long An, there are three large industrial zones and dozens of industrialcomplexes with over 40,000 workers. Most of these workers renthouses to live, and would like to own them.
Other communes like Can Duoc andBen Luc witness the same situation.
It is the same in Binh Duong province,which has 48 industrial complexes with millions of workers from all over thecountry.
According to a report in Property Investment magazine, BinhDuong authorities plan to develop 37 social housing projects on an area of220ha with 64,000 houses for low-income people. But the reportsays the plan is not complete.
In Dong Nai, only one third ofworkers are reported to have the family record book, which signifies houseownership.
Property Investment magazine reports that most of thehousing projects meant for workers are in industrial zones. Butin each zone only 10ha is earmarked for workers’ housing.
Tran Duc Vinh, General Directorof Tran Anh Long An Property Company, said his company developed seven housingprojects for workers and all units in them were sold out within one or twomonths. “The demand is huge,” he said.
Nguyen Van Hau, General Directorof Asian Holding, said there were few proposed workers’ housing projects.
In Long An, there are only 10 ofthem under way currently and not meeting the demand.
Property market experts citedlimited land availability as the main reason for developers ignoring thissegment.
Furthermore, they added, theincentives offered by the Government for workers’ housing are not as attractiveas profits from commercial projects.
However, "worker’s housingoffers good profits if developers plan well," Hau said.
"Furthermore, procedures aremuch easier," he added.-VNS/VNA
VNA
