HOW TO BUY SOCIAL HOUSING?

"Even with money, you are not guaranteed to buy social housing" is a quite familiar saying and also a reality that many low-income earners in large cities are facing. In the context where commercial housing prices are increasingly exceeding the affordability of the vast majority of workers or low-income earners, social housing is expected to be a practical settlement solution for them. However, reality shows that accessing this type of social housing is not as simple as many people think.

If people still think that simply meeting the low-income condition is enough to buy social housing, they are mistaken. Those who wish to buy social housing must not only meet financial conditions but also other conditions related to target groups, housing status, civil status, and place of residence. Besides, the application review process is highly selective, requiring applicants to provide full supporting documents and undergo appraisal steps in accordance with the Housing Law 2023 and related guiding documents.

1. What is social housing and who is eligible to buy it?

According to the Housing Law 2023, social housing is a type of housing that receives State policy support to provide accommodation for specific groups in society, especially those facing housing and income difficulties. This support can be manifested in various forms such as incentives on land, taxes, credit, or selling prices, thereby helping citizens reduce the cost of accessing housing compared to commercial housing on the market.

However, not every individual or organization has the right to buy social housing. The law has established a mechanism to "zone target groups" to ensure this policy reaches the right beneficiaries. Currently, there are 12 groups eligible to buy social housing, including:

(1) People with meritorious services to the revolution, relatives of martyrs eligible for housing improvement support under the Ordinance on Preferential Treatment of People with Meritorious Services to the Revolution.

(2) Poor and near-poor households in rural areas.

(3) Poor and near-poor households in rural areas frequently affected by natural disasters and climate change.

(4) Poor and near-poor households in urban areas.

(5) Low-income earners in urban areas.

(6) Workers and employees working at enterprises, cooperatives, and cooperative unions inside and outside industrial parks.

(7) Officers, professional military personnel, non-commissioned officers of the people's armed forces, police workers, civil servants, defense workers, and public employees on active duty; people doing cipher work, and people doing other work in cipher organizations salaried by the state budget who are currently on duty.

(8) Cadres, civil servants, and public employees as prescribed by the law on cadres, civil servants, and public employees.

(9) Subjects who have returned official residences as prescribed in Clause 4, Article 125 of the Housing Law 2023, except for cases where official residences are revoked due to violations of this Law.

(10) Households and individuals subjected to land recovery and required to clear or demolish their homes according to the law but have not yet been compensated by the State with housing or residential land.

(11) Students of universities, academies, colleges, vocational schools, and specialized schools as prescribed by law; students of public ethnic boarding schools.

(12) Enterprises, cooperatives, and cooperative unions in industrial parks.

However, from July 1, 2026, when the Population Law 2025 officially takes effect, "people with 02 or more biological children" will become an eligible group to buy social housing.

Legal Basis: Clause 7 Article 2, Article 76 of the Housing Law 2023 and the Population Law 2025 (effective from July 1, 2026).

2. Conditions for buying social housing

2.1. Housing conditions:

- The applicant or their spouse (if any) has never owned a home.

- Has not yet purchased/rented/lease-purchased social housing.

- Has not benefited from any form of housing support policy in the province or city where the social housing project is located.

- If they already own a house in the area where the social housing project is located, the average floor area per capita of the house must be 15m2 of floor area per person or less.

- In the case of individuals in the military, civil servants, public employees, etc., they must not be currently living in official residences.

Legal Basis: Article 78 of the Housing Law 2023, Article 29 of Decree 100/2024/ND-CP, Article 32 of Decree 54/2026/ND-CP.

2.2. Income conditions:

a) For groups 5, 6, and 8 mentioned in section 1 above:

- Single individuals: Actual average monthly income does not exceed 20 million VND.

- Single individuals raising minor children: Actual average monthly income does not exceed 30 million VND.

- Married individuals: The total actual average monthly income of the couple does not exceed 40 million VND.

Notes:

- Income is calculated based on the payroll or wage table confirmed by the agency, unit, or enterprise where the subject works.

- The period for determining the income condition of a single person is the 12 consecutive months preceding the time the competent authority makes the confirmation.

- Based on local conditions, income levels of each area, preferential housing policies for cadres, civil servants, and public employees, and the number of dependents prescribed by law, the Provincial People's Committee may decide on the income adjustment coefficient for single and married applicants, provided it does not exceed the ratio between the local average income per capita and the national average income per capita; and decide on policies to encourage access to social housing for eligible subjects who have three (03) or more dependents in the same household.

- If the subject is a low-income earner in an urban area without a labor contract, they must meet the income condition and have it confirmed by the Commune-level Police where they permanently or temporarily reside, or currently live.

Legal Basis: Article 78 of the Housing Law 2023, Article 30 of Decree 100/2024/ND-CP, Decree 261/2025/ND-CP, Article 33 of Decree 54/2026/ND-CP.

b) For group 7 mentioned in section 1 above:

- If single: Actual monthly income (including basic salary and allowances) does not exceed the total income of a Colonel.

- If married:

+ If both spouses belong to the armed forces: The total actual monthly income (including salary and allowances) does not exceed twice (02 times) the total income of a Colonel.

+ If only one spouse belongs to the armed forces: The total actual monthly income (including salary and allowances) of both spouses does not exceed 1.5 times the total income of a Colonel.

- If belonging to a poor or near-poor household in an urban area, they must prove their poor/near-poor status according to regulations.

- For workers without a labor contract: The Commune People's Committee shall confirm the income condition.

Note: The period for confirming the income condition is the 1 consecutive year preceding the time of submitting the application to buy or lease-purchase housing for the people's armed forces.

Legal Basis: Clause 6 Article 78 of the Housing Law 2023, Article 29, Clause 4 Article 3, and Article 67 of Decree 100/2024/ND-CP, Clause 5 Article 1 of Decree 261/2025/ND-CP.

c) For groups 2, 3, and 4 mentioned in section 1 above:

They must fall under the category of poor or near-poor households according to the Government's poverty line.

Legal Basis: Clause 1 Article 78 of the Housing Law 2023, Article 30 of Decree 100/2024/ND-CP.

3. Application dossier for buying social housing

Prepare the dossier as follows:

- Application for buying social housing (Form No. 01 of Decree No. 261/2025/ND-CP).

- Documents proving eligibility to buy social housing: based on the subjects mentioned in section 1, different forms will be used for declaration.

- Documents proving housing conditions (Form No. 02 or 03 of Circular 05/2024/TT-BXD).

- Documents proving income conditions: based on the subjects mentioned in section 1, different forms will be used for declaration in accordance with the purpose.

- Personal identification documents of the applicant.

- Certificate of marital status or marriage certificate.

- Certificate of residence.

- For low-income earners in urban areas without a labor contract: Must have a confirmation of the subject status issued by the Commune People's Committee.

- For households and individuals subjected to land recovery and required to clear or demolish their homes but have not yet been compensated with housing or land by the State: Must have a confirmation of the subject status issued by the locality where the land is recovered.

- Once the dossier is complete, submit the registration application for buying social housing to the Investor of that social housing project.

4. Legal notes on social housing

According to the law, each person is only allowed to buy social housing once. Therefore, once approved to buy social housing, it is necessary to carefully consider and choose a project that suits your needs and budget.

Individuals and families who have purchased or rented social housing are not entitled to sublet or mortgage it. Besides, the buyer is not allowed to transfer the social housing within 05 years, calculated from the time of fully paying the amount stated in the contract with the investor. After that period, you will be issued full housing and land documents, and it can then be sold or transferred. However, during that 05-year period, if desired, you can sell it back to the State, the investor, or someone eligible to buy social housing.

In general, buying social housing does not merely depend on the financial capacity of citizens but is also strictly regulated by the legal system and specific appraisal criteria. In the context of increasing housing demand, perfecting the legal mechanism, simplifying procedures, and ensuring transparency in the appraisal process are key factors to help the social housing policy truly become effective. Thereby contributing to ensuring social security and creating conditions for a stable, long-term life for low-income groups.

DL PINNACLE LAW FIRM LLC