HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội will hold a public dialogue on December 3 to address difficulties faced by residents applying to buy or lease social housing, amid rising demand and growing concerns over overcrowding and illegal brokerage activities. 

The event, organised by the Hanoi Public Administrative Service Centre, will run from 2pm to 4pm and brings together representatives from key agencies, including the departments of Construction, Natural Resources and Environment, Justice, the Land Registration Office, Hanoi Social Security and the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, along with major social housing developers such as Him Lam, BIC Vietnam, Viglacera and UDIC.

Residents will be able to directly raise questions about application procedures, required documents, eligibility criteria and the approval process.

Authorities will clarify inter-agency coordination between construction, justice, land management, social insurance and lending units and publicly present simplified forms and guidelines.

The centre said the dialogue aims to create a transparent platform between applicants and authorities, helping people better understand policies and avoid repeated submissions, delays and additional costs. It also seeks to prevent misconduct such as unclear requirements, lack of guidance or inconsistent processing.

The meeting follows a recent directive from the Ministry of Construction calling on provinces and cities to tighten control over social housing application processes after reports of disorder at several project sites.

According to the ministry, some locations have seen large crowds, overnight queues, self-organised waiting lists and the emergence of illegal brokers charging fees to secure slots, causing public frustration and raising security risks.

The ministry warned that without timely action, such practices could foster corruption, distort policy intentions and undermine public trust.

Local authorities have been urged to ensure transparent information disclosure at least 30 days before receiving applications, including project scale, prices, locations and timelines, and to improve guidance for applicants in preparing documents.

Provinces and cities must also publish lists of approved buyers and tenants, strengthen inspections and strictly handle violations including illegal brokerage, charging reservation fees or selling so-called 'priority quotas'.

The Hà Nội dialogue is expected to help standardise procedures, improve accountability among agencies and developers, and enhance transparency in the social housing application process. — VNS