Students worry less about housing.

(Baonghean) - Currently, four student housing projects are being implemented in Nghe An province using government bond funds, with a total investment of 473.848 billion VND. Despite facing difficulties in securing funding, the investors and construction units have made strenuous efforts, and some projects have been completed and put into operation, promptly meeting the housing needs of students.

The Vinh-Trung student housing complex in Trung Do ward (Vinh City) will be put into use in the new academic year 2014-2015.

Nguyen Thi Thuy, a student from the Faculty of Law at Vinh University, said: “The university has a dormitory, but it doesn't meet the housing needs of students, so we have to rent rooms. Many students in my class have to rent rooms outside. Students who come to Vinh to study want stable accommodation that ensures security and order and suits their circumstances… only then can they focus on their studies for the next four years.” It is known that the demand for dormitory accommodation is very high, but Vinh University currently cannot meet it. Furthermore, the dormitory was built a long time ago, and some facilities are in disrepair.

To gradually address the housing needs of students at Vinh University and the surrounding area, the Government has invested in the Vinh-Trung Student Housing Project (Trung Do Ward, near Vinh University) with a total investment of VND 250.5 billion from Government bonds. After a period of intensive construction, the project is now basically complete with two high-rise buildings (each 16 stories high) containing 336 rooms and is expected to accommodate nearly 2,000 students. Along with this, other technical infrastructure facilities such as multi-purpose halls, playgrounds, roads, etc., have been invested in synchronously, creating a modern, airy living space suitable for students. During the project implementation, despite difficulties in securing funding, the investor (Nghe An Provincial Management Board of Civil and Urban Infrastructure Construction Projects) successfully persuaded the construction unit (Enterprise 2 – Hanoi Housing Investment and Development Corporation, responsible for the main construction items) to adhere to the schedule. Currently, most of the project's components have been completed, but the total funding allocated to the project is behind schedule, reaching only nearly 170.7 billion VND.

Mr. Pham Van Sau, Deputy Director of the Management Board of Civil Construction and Urban Infrastructure Projects in Nghe An province, said: “The Board has been assigned by the province to directly manage, operate, and maintain the Vinh-Trung student housing complex. Currently, the Board is submitting to relevant levels and sectors for approval the organizational structure, the annual maintenance cost estimate, and the rental price plan… Recently, the province allocated 4 billion VND to purchase interior equipment, including 448 double beds, 896 single beds, 224 tables, and 1,792 folding chairs. With the province's investment and the efforts of the construction units, the Vinh-Trung student housing complex project will be put into use to serve students by the start of the new academic year 2014-2015.”

Currently, with the strong development of universities, colleges, and vocational schools in Vinh City and surrounding areas, the demand for student housing is very high, so the field of student housing investment is receiving attention. In Hung Binh ward, Vinh City, Vinh University (the investor) is actively completing a student housing project with a total investment of 88.8 billion VND from Government bonds. This project includes a 9-story building with 136 rooms, a 4-story cafeteria and student activity center, and several other auxiliary facilities, all of which are basically completed. Although the allocated capital for the project is nearly 67.6 billion VND, the investor and construction unit are focusing on completing and installing equipment to serve students by the start of the 2014-2015 academic year.

To promptly meet the housing needs of students, Nghe An College of Education (Hung Loc commune - Vinh City) is also implementing a student housing project with a scale of 5 high-rise buildings, each 5 stories high with a total of 300 rooms, a 3-story cafeteria, a 2-story student club, a medical station, and many other supporting facilities… with a total investment of over 50.3 billion VND. Due to difficulties in funding, the investor has focused on completing and putting into use dormitories K1B and K2B; currently, K1A and K2A are basically completed. The K2C dormitory, the student club, and other supporting facilities are temporarily delayed. Mr. Chu Anh Tuan, Head of the Housing and Real Estate Market Management Department of the Department of Construction, said: “Currently, in Nghe An, four student housing projects are being implemented using Government bond funds, including three projects in Vinh City and one project in Cua Lo Town, with a total area of ​​78,337 square meters.”²The dormitory has a floor area and can accommodate approximately 7,950 students. These four projects have a total investment of VND 473.848 billion, and the Government has supported VND 327.9 billion from Government bonds, with over VND 316.3 billion already disbursed. Among the four investment projects in our province, the student dormitory of Nghe An College of Tourism and Trade in Cua Lo town has been implemented very quickly and effectively. The dormitory has three multi-story buildings, each with five floors and a total floor area of ​​3,450 m².²"Such comprehensive investment has promptly met the housing needs of students in the area."

The demand for student housing in Vinh City and surrounding areas is very high. Currently, some student housing construction projects are being delayed or postponed due to a lack of investment capital. In particular, the construction of the 16-story student housing unit No. 3 in the Vinh-Trung student housing project has completed the foundation with a value of over 10 billion VND, but is currently suspended. This will result in a significant waste of money. Therefore, continued investment is needed to complete the project according to the design, or measures should be taken to convert the project's purpose to social housing construction. Furthermore, in student housing construction projects, some supporting facilities and infrastructure also require timely investment to complete the project in a coordinated manner.

Hoang Vinh