'The stormy sadness' of nearly half-century-old apartment buildings in Vinh City

Current situation

These past days,Vinh CitySuffering from many heavy rains, in old apartment buildings scattered across the area, people are struggling to cope in cramped, damp rooms that are at risk of collapsing at any time.

Hanoi Textile and Garment Company's residential area (also known as Coc Soi residential area), located in blocks 7 and 9,Ben Thuy ward, has an area of ​​over 27,000m2 with 22 rows of level 4 houses built in the late 70s and early 80s of the last century. There are currently 246 households living here in a state of fear, especially when the rainy and stormy season has arrived.

The Coc Soi apartment complex, which is over 40 years old and already shabby and rundown, becomes even more dilapidated during the rainy and stormy season. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Tran Van Thi - a resident of this apartment complex said: this apartment complex was formerlyVinh Fiber Factory Collective, built in 1978. After many years, the house has deteriorated, is damp, leaky, the internal road is narrow, just a little rain and it is flooded.

Mr. Tuong Dang Bang - Block 7 Head, also one of the households living in this apartment complex, said: More than 10 years ago, when Project 109 was introduced, the residents of this apartment complex were very excited to demolish the old apartment complex, to re-plan and re-divide the plots. However, because many people did not agree on the price to be paid to the State and many households with apartment buildings on Phong Dinh Cang Street have now divided them into many kiosks for rent, earning tens of millions of dong each month, they were afraid that they would have to draw lots and move inside, so they did not want to do it.

Every time it rains, people in Coc Soi apartment complex have to tie up their houses, which is very miserable. Photo: Tien Dong

Also according to Mr. Bang,planning mapThe drawing has been completed, and even 59 households have drawn lots, but because the land tax price list in the area has changed, it has had to stop.

According to the synthesis of Vinh City People's Committee, currently in Ben Thuy ward, in addition to the Hanoi Textile and Garment Company's housing area with 246 households, there are also 4 housing areas of Hoang Thi Loan Knitting in blocks 10, 12 and 14 with 64 households, although also on the implementation list of Project 109 but still not resolved.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Huan - Chairman of Ben Thuy Ward People's Committee said: Currently, Project 109 has expired, but many households still live in collective housing areas, some households have sold or transferred to households moving from other places. Currently, the ward is waiting for the city to allow the establishment of an urban renovation project to continue implementation.

Just a little rain is enough to flood the Coc Soi apartment complex. Photo: Tien Dong

InCua Nam wardIn addition to the two collective housing areas under Project 109 that are still being resolved, there are many old collective housing areas that are also in a state of serious degradation. At the collective housing area of ​​Nghe An Transport and Trading Corporation (Song Bien Company collective), in Group 9, Block 11, Cua Nam Ward, there are 13 households living there.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh - head of group 9, said: the households here used to be workers at the brick factory of Song Bien Company. Currently, in the collective housing area, there are some households living in seriously degraded housing such as Ms. Le Thi Thien's household with 7 people, Ms. Vo Thi Khuong's household with 6 people or Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu living alone.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh - head of group 9, block 11, Cua Nam ward, is also one of 13 households living in the Song Bien Company's housing complex, hoping that the authorities at all levels will soon complete the procedures to issue land use right certificates. Photo: Tien Dong

It is known that on June 14, 2021, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision 258/QD-UBND on the recovery of 1,894.79m2 (the entire collective area) of Nghe An Transport and Trading Corporation. After the recovery, the Provincial People's Committee also assigned the Vinh City People's Committee to manage the entire area to put it into use according to the plan.

Mr. Tran Van Tri - Chairman of the People's Committee of Cua Nam Ward said: Although the province has reclaimed the land of Nghe An Transport and Trading Corporation and handed it over to the City People's Committee for management, to carry out the procedures for granting certificates to households, it is still necessary to wait for the establishment of a new residential land planning project.

The project to resolve old collective housing in Vinh City was approved by the Provincial People's Council in Resolution No. 189/2007/NQ-HDND dated July 25, 2007 and approved by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 109/2007/QD-UBND dated September 21, 2007. After more than 10 years of implementation, up to now, old collective housing in the area has been basically resolved to allocate land and issue certificates to households, contributing to creating a spacious appearance for the urban area.

An old, dilapidated apartment building at the Song Bien Company apartment building in block 11, Cua Nam ward. Photo: Tien Dong

Find a solution

Currently,Project to solve old collective housinghas ended, Decision No. 109/2017/QD-UBND of the Provincial People's Committee has expired. 18/156 collective housing areas in the project are still being resolved unfinished due to many problems and difficulties. However, given the degraded and shabby state of the old collective housing areas, re-planning to beautify the city and especially ensure safety for the people is extremely necessary.

According to research, most people in collective housing areas wish to be allocated land and granted Land Use Right Certificates to renovate and upgrade their houses and stabilize their lives. However, due to unclear regulations on handling liquidation and valuation cases; incomplete documents for payment of liquidation and valuation; many people have disagreed (about the origin, time of liquidation, valuation, land allocation price, planning, resettlement, etc.). Not to mention the small land fund of collective housing areas, not enough to arrange on site, so the settlement of procedures for land allocation and granting of Land Use Right Certificates to households and individuals still faces many difficulties.

The Viet Duc garment collective area in block 12, Hong Son ward with 186 households after implementing Project 109, was re-planned and has become more spacious. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Le Sy Chien - Vice Chairman of Vinh City People's Committee said: In the face of the fact that there are still many old collective housing areas that have not been completely resolved, the City People's Committee has proposed to the Provincial People's Committee to allow the continued implementation of the procedures for handling. In particular, for collective housing areas that are being unfinished, it is requested to be allowed to continue implementing the procedures prescribed in Decision 109 to complete the land allocation and grant of Land Use Rights Certificates to the people.

For the current collective housing areas that have just completed the procedures to resolve them and the collective housing areas that still exist in the city but are not listed in Project 109, it is proposed to assign wards and communes as investors to set up projects to renovate the urban area - Mr. Chien added./.

Tien Dong