Saigoneer

    Back Stories » Saigon » Saigon Officials Seek Private Funding to Upgrade Old Apartment Buildings, Relocate 20,000 Households Along Canal

    AAA
    City officials are hoping to upgrade deteriorating apartment buildings and relocate 20,000 households along Saigon’s canals through private funding.

    According to VnExpress, municipal authorities are requesting governmental permission to ease the city’s bidding regulations in an effort to attract more private investors, whose much-needed funds could help to relocate canal-side residents and redevelop the city’s waterfront areas.

    During a working session attended by both the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the Ministry of Construction, officials presented two main goals: to relocate 20,000 canal-side households and to upgrade at least half of Saigon’s pre-1975 apartment blocks, reports Saigon Giai Phong.

    HCMC People’s Committee vice chairman Le Van Khoa told VnExpress the makeshift houses along Saigon’s canals are unsafe for residents and contribute to pollution in the area. City officials have long planned to revitalize urban canals, however the high cost of such projects presents a challenge.

    At the working session, Khoa said several companies have already come forward with offers to invest in clean-up and relocation projects throughout the city, according to VnExpress. The Saigon Housing and Infrastructure Investment JSC, for instance, is willing to spend VND9.3 trillion (US$417.5 million) to remove houses along District 8’s Doi Canal, while a Hanoian firm could pledge VND5 trillion (US$224 million) for work on Binh Thanh’s Xuyen Tam Canal.

    As for apartment blocks, the city is home to 474 buildings in need of renovation, Tran Trong Tuan, director of HCMC’s Department of Construction, told Saigon Giai Phong. City officials aim to complete renovations on half of these structures by 2020, reports Saigon Times, however just 32 apartment buildings have received upgrades over the past decade, leaving 237 more buildings to renovate in the next four years.

    This is not a new issue for municipal authorities. Last year, Saigon earmarked 61 old apartment buildings for demolition, while the city's Department of Construction has plans to complete 39 low-cost housing projects between now and 2020. City authorities have also gone to work relocating makeshift housing along the water: in March, phase three of a Japanese-funded canal clean-up effort moved 5,800 households from canals in Districts 4, 7, 8 and Binh Chanh.

    [Photo via Flickr user Giang Dong Du]


    Related Articles:

    5,800 Saigon Households to Relocate Ahead of Canal Maintenance

    Saigon to Demolish Old Apartment Buildings, Construct New Low-Income Housing

    Saigon to Demolish 61 Old Apartment Buildings


    If you have enjoyed our work and believe that Saigoneer’s voice is an important one to have, please consider supporting us. Pledge any amount you’re comfortable with in the form of a one-time or recurring donation so we can continue bringing you the stories you love to read.

    Related Articles

    in Saigon

    $100,000 Diamond Allegedly Vanishes From Woman’s Finger In HCMC Hotel

    A Hanoi woman claims that she was drugged at a HCMC hotel last weekend and awoke to find that a $100,000 diamond had been pried from her ring.

    in Saigon

    100,000 Workers at Saigon Industrial Zones to Get Free WiFi by 2019

    Workers at Saigon’s industrial zones can look forward to free WiFi access in the near future thanks to a new program.

    in Saigon

    100-Year-Old Trees In Front Of Opera House Cut Down To Make Way For Metro

    Flower Street and the statues in front of Bến Thành Market aren’t the only sacrifices being made to accommodate the construction of Saigon’s first metro line.

    in Saigon

    122-Year-Old Saigon Woman Confirmed As World’s Oldest

    The World Records Association (WRA) has completed the verification process and officially confirmed Saigon’s 122-year-old Nguyen Thi Tru, as the world’s oldest woman.

    in Saigon

    160 Wood Benches Being Added To Nguyen Hue Street

    The trees that were cut down last July during construction of the metro station in front of the Saigon Opera House are making a comeback in the form of benches.

    in Saigon

    2 Foreigners Arrested for iPhone Snatching

    In a reminder that crime transcends race, 2 foreigners were arrested last Friday for stealing an iPhone from a local woman in District 1. The 2 thieves were identified as Sean Douglas, 17, an Austral...

    Partner Content

    in Entertainment

    Savoring the Spectacular Views from Zion Sky Lounge & Dining

    When the sun starts to fall, glazing a glittering expanse of skyscrapers with orange light, Saigon’s skyline reveals its most beautiful, energetic character. The view from Zion Sky Lounge & Dining imp...

    in Resorts

    Local Culture Embraced For Year of the Snake at An Lam Retreats Saigon River

    Year-round, An Lam Retreats Saigon River seeks to capture and share the essence of traditional Vietnamese culture via its unique architectural style, refined cuisine, and activities that recreate fasc...

    in Education

    Viet Nam Tinh Hoa Emerges: A New Identity, The Same Excellence

    “Our new branding is a more authentic reflection of who we are: rooted in Vietnam, yet drawing strength from NLCS (North London Collegiate School). While it may have been easier to remain as NLCS, our...

    in Resorts

    How Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort Helps Nurture “Forever” Family Memories this Holiday Season

    Our daily lives are consumed by routine obligations like work and school. While these necessities provide for many worthwhile experiences, long, far-flung vacations may be the optimal conditions to cr...

    in Eat & Drink

    Snow Falls in Zion Sky Lounge & Dining While Partiers Redefine Holiday Traditions

    Have you ever wanted to establish a new Holiday tradition?

    in Entertainment

    A Dialogue Between Humanity and Nature Through the Duo Exhibition “Biophilia and Naturalis”

    Amid the chaos of modern life and urban development, where humans are in constant, fast motion, nature is an important element to remind ourselves of and return to. In this duo exhibition by Patricia ...