A program to rebuild and renovate houses for 725 disadvantaged families in 15 suburban and rural areas was launched by Hanoi city authorities on April 3.

Families in Tay Dang Commune, Ba Vi District, take out cheap loans to rebuild their homes. Photo: The Hanoi Times

Of the 725 houses, the city will build 462 new houses and renovate the remaining 263 at a total cost of nearly VND62 billion (US$2.5 million) in the city's 15 districts.

The work on these houses was carried out simultaneously in 15 districts in the presence of the city's senior officials.

According to authorities, Hanoi is always concerned about improving the living conditions of poor families. Municipal and sub-municipal authorities expect all stakeholders in society, including people, businesses, and organizations, to join Hanoi in providing maximum support to the underprivileged, leaving no one behind.

Duong Duc Tuan, Vice-Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, said the project was in keeping with Hanoi's tradition of caring for the poor, adding that the reconstructed and rehabilitated houses would serve as a foundation for local families, encouraging them to improve their living conditions.

Vu Thu Ha, deputy chairwoman of the Hanoi People's Committee, urged local authorities to step up their supervision of construction sites to ensure that rehabilitation and renovation work is of the highest quality and completed by September 30.

According to Dang Thi Phuong Hoa, Vice President of the Hanoi Committee of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front, each household building a new house will receive VND100 million ($4,000), while those repairing their houses will be granted VND60 million ($2,400). Half of the budget will be provided by the city and the other half by the city's Fund for the Poor.

Each family can borrow a maximum of VND50 million ($2,000) from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies - Hanoi, with a 15-year term and interest paid by the city.

Bui Van Quyet and Ha Thi Luu, a couple from Van Phuc commune in Phuc Tho district, said their family no longer had to live in rented accommodation and their basic needs were met.

"We will strive to overcome difficulties, achieve a better life, and be happier," Quyet said.

The program is one of the city government's ongoing activities as a sign of its care and concern for the poor. It is also part of the social campaign to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Hanoi's liberation (October 10, 1954 – October 10, 2024).

Since 2021, the Vietnamese Fatherland Front in Hanoi has collected donations worth VND193 billion ($7.74 million) for the Fund for the Poor. More than VND177 billion ($7 million) has been spent to help poor families in the city.

In Hanoi, we have rebuilt and repaired more than 2,000 homes, provided education funding for the children of 10,500 families, supported nearly 3,200 families with income-generating solutions, and provided health kits to nearly 3,400 households.

In Hanoi, the number of poor families fell to more than 16,500 in 2023. Across the city, 18 out of 30 urban, suburban, and rural districts have no poor families.