Criteria for housing support for poor and near-poor households in Vietnam

Circular 01/2022/TT-BXD applies to the following subjects in Vietnam:

- Poor households, near-poor households (according to the multi-dimensional poverty standards for the period 2021-2025) in the list of poor households, near-poor households managed by the commune-level People's Committee, residing in poor districts and being independent households for at least 3 years until the Sustainable Poverty Reduction National Target Program phase 2021-2025 (hereinafter referred to as the Program) comes into effect;

- Beneficiaries of housing support do not include households that have been supported with housing under the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the period 2021-2030 and other programs, projects, and policies;

- Relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals.

According to the Circular, to receive housing support, it is required to meet the criteria: being a poor household, near-poor household without housing or in unstable housing; the average housing area per person is less than 8m² and must be a household that has not received housing support from programs, projects, state support policies, socio-political organizations, or other social organizations.

Unstable housing means that in the three main structures: foundation - base, frame - wall, roof, at least two structures are made of unstable materials.

The priority order for support is regulated as follows:

(1) Poor ethnic minority households;

(2) Poor households with members who have contributed to the revolution;

(3) Poor households, near-poor households with members who are social protection beneficiaries;

(4) Poor households, near-poor households with particularly difficult circumstances (elderly, lonely, disabled);

(5) Poor households, near-poor households in areas frequently affected by natural disasters;

(6) Other poor households, near-poor households.

For households with the same priority level in Vietnam, they are prioritized in the following order:

(1) Poor households, near-poor households with damaged, dilapidated houses (made of perishable, low-quality materials) at risk of collapsing, unsafe;

(2) Poor households, near-poor households without housing (poor households, near-poor households without separate housing, currently living with parents but have separated households, living in others' houses, renting houses - except for cases of renting houses that are state-owned);

(3) Poor households, near-poor households with large numbers of members.

After receiving support for repairs or new construction, the house must meet quality standards: minimum usable area of 30m², meeting the "3 firm" criteria (firm foundation - base, firm frame - wall, firm roof) and a lifespan of at least 20 years.

The "3 firm" criteria are specifically guided as follows:

- "Firm foundation - base" means the house foundation - base made of materials that increase the hardness of the base such as: cement-sand mortar, concrete, reinforced concrete, brick/stone, floor tiles, wood;

- "Firm frame - wall" includes frame, column, wall systems. Depending on specific conditions, the frame, column are made from materials like: reinforced concrete, iron, steel, durable wood; walls are built of brick/stone or made from durable wood;

- "Firm roof" includes the roof support system and roofing. Depending on specific conditions, the roof support system can be made from materials like: reinforced concrete, iron, steel, durable wood. Roof made of reinforced concrete, tiled. In cases where the roof is made of imitation tile steel, cold steel, insulated steel, corrugated steel and has a solid support structure (iron frame, wood...) firmly connected to brick walls, reinforced concrete columns, then the steel roof in this case is considered a durable material.

Depending on actual conditions, housing parts can be made from locally available materials of equivalent quality meeting technical standards, ensuring service life. Provincial People's Committees (or authorized to the Department of Construction) are to specify local material types (if any), report to the Ministry of Construction for consideration, and decision.

Circular 01/2022/TT-BXD takes effect from August 15, 2022.

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