The Hanoi People’s Committee has proposed a new lottery‑free social‑housing program for the Old Quarter. It targets households that live in extreme overcrowding and offers a direct path to a new home, making the plan especially relevant for anyone interested in urban housing solutions.

According to the Hoan Kiem Ward People’s Committee, 902 households – about 3,621 people – live in multi‑household buildings where each person has less than 5 sqm of floor space. These homes average fewer than four people sharing under 20 sqm, far below Hanoi’s typical residential area.

To qualify, a household must have an average residential floor space of under 5 sqm per person, hold permanent residence registration in the Old Quarter, register voluntarily, and agree that every member moves out of the current home. The benefit can be used only once, and the household must also meet the standard requirements for buying or entering a hire‑purchase agreement for social housing.

The city plans to allocate up to 902 apartments for the scheme, with an initial batch of 552 units scheduled for 2026 across nine projects. In each project, no more than 20 % of the total apartments will be offered under the lottery‑free scheme.

If more households apply than there are apartments, the city will first give priority to those with the smallest floor space per person. Next come households with elderly or disabled members, then poor or near‑poor families, and finally those who registered earlier.

Successful applicants must either purchase the unit or sign a hire‑purchase agreement at the set social‑housing price, and they must relocate all members and register permanent residence at the new address before the deadline set by the municipal People’s Committee. This scheme shows how Hanoi is using a targeted, lottery‑free process to move overcrowded families into decent housing.