Speaking at the workshop, Minister of Construction Trinh Dinh Dung appreciated the help of the WB for technical assistance programs to identify issues of supply and demand of social housing, exchange experiences about affordable housing and counseling mechanisms and policies in revised Housing Law.

According to a representative of the Ministry of Construction, the demand for housing for low-income people is 11.28 million m2, equivalent to 282 thousand units. In the period 2013 - 2015, the demand increased of 2.64 million m2, equivalent to 66 thousand units. In the period 2016 - 2020, the demand will be increased 3.36 million m2, equivalent to 84 thousand units. Therefore, the total demand to 2020 will be about 432 thousand units or approximately 17.28 million m2.

Discussion at the workshop, Mr. Sameh Naguib Wahba, Director of Urban Development Department, WB had introduced a number of social housing experience in some countries such as Brazil, Egypt, Morocco.

The workshop also discussed many comments related to the development resource of social housing and idefine criteria, buyers, preferential credit package to support for social housing development; the ways to address challenges in the housing sector especially social housing; consider housing conditions of migrants and legalize the informal migrants.

Khanh Phuong (www.baoxaydung.com.vn)