Vietnam Prioritizes Social, Rental Housing Amidst Stabilized Apartment Prices

Hanoi is accelerating its social housing programs, renovating aging apartment complexes, and promoting transit-oriented urban development (TOD). Expanding the rental housing stock is set to become a key pillar of its housing strategy. The accelerated development of social housing, along with the gradual formation of a long-term rental housing market, is expected to create a more diversified housing ecosystem that meets the needs of various groups, contributing to developing a more sustainable social welfare policy. As Vietnam continues to strengthen its position as one of the leading growth hubs in the Asia-Pacific region, the adoption of integrated management solutions and operational standardization will play an increasingly important role in improving the adaptability and global competitiveness of the country’s real estate market. This aligns with Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW, which emphasizes building a foreign-invested sector that is closely integrated with the domestic sector to create new growth drivers, rather than concentrating mainly on attracting foreign capital. Vietnam is projected to remain the fastest-growing economy in Southeast Asia, with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) maintaining its growth forecasts of 7.2% for 2026 and 7.0% for 2027 in its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) July 2026 released on July 8. Vietnam currently has about 17,400 OCOP products rated three stars or above. The figure is set to increase to around 25,000 by 2030, with greater emphasis on improving quality, adding value and enhancing competitiveness rather than simply expanding the number of products. India remained the largest supplier, with the value reaching 63.2 million USD, representing around 52% of Vietnam's total diamond imports. Speaking at the opening ceremony at Staybridge Suites London-Vauxhall in Lambeth, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Do Minh Hung said bilateral ties have developed strongly in recent years, culminating in the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Party General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to the UK in October last year. The meetings with AFD and EDF were seen as an important step in deepening ties between Quang Ngai and French partners as the province enters a new phase of development. Through broader international cooperation, Quang Ngai aims to attract more capital, technology, management expertise and training resources to advance green industry, clean energy and sustainable infrastructure, strengthen competitiveness and move toward becoming a major industrial, energy and logistics hub in central Vietnam and the country. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Dang Ngoc Diep said the sector achieved encouraging results thanks to close monitoring of market developments, proactive production management and timely measures to remove institutional and policy bottlenecks. According to the National Statistics Office, cultural industries contributed about 3.54% of Ho Chi Minh City's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in 2020. The figure rose to around 5.7% in 2025 and is expected to continue growing. The State Bank of Vietnam set the daily reference exchange rate at 25,211 VND/USD on July 9, up 5 VND from the previous day. By 2030, Vietnam aims for its airport network to handle about 249 million passengers and 4.4 million tonnes of cargo annually, while ensuring more than 95% of the population lives within 100km of an airport. Experts say Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW could become a strategic lever for Vietnam’s sustainable development, but pose major challenges related to infrastructure capacity and environmental standards. At the conference, 11 pairs of businesses from Guangxi and Quang Ninh signed cooperation agreements in areas including smart border gate development, logistics infrastructure, trade in agricultural, forestry and fishery products, cross-border cultural tourism, and testing and inspection services, to enhance connectivity between Guangxi's industrial and supply chains and those of Vietnam. The positive FDI performance in the first half of 2026 provides a favourable foundation for Vietnam to realise Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW’s goals. However, to maintain advantages and improve the quality of capital inflows, Vietnam needs not only to improve the investment environment but also develop infrastructure, strengthen domestic enterprises, expand capital markets and promote substantive links between the FDI and domestic sectors. Beyond fast GRDP growth, many Red River Delta localities were also among the largest contributors to overall national economic expansion during the period. When businesses spend less time on procedures, gain more transparent access to land and capital, and operate in a stable, predictable business environment, reform policies can be truly translated into projects, products, jobs and productivity gains. Addressing the conference, which took place as Vietnam participated in INNOPROM with a national pavilion for the first time, Vietnamese Consul General Nguyen Mai Huong praised Quang Ninh’s growing cooperation with Sverdlovsk, long recognised as one of Russia’s major industrial centres. As part of the roadshow, in July, a pilot event is set to be held in Shanghai to introduce Vietnamese specialty coffee to the professional coffee community, gauge market interest and lay the groundwork for future trade promotion activities. Demand for Korean food in Vietnam has continued to grow rapidly alongside the popularity of the Korean Wave, or Hallyu, making the country a strategic market in the RoK's plan to expand agricultural and food exports to ASEAN, the RoK's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said. The State Bank of Vietnam set the daily reference exchange rate at 25,206 VND/USD on July 8, up 4 VND from the previous day. The debut affirms the city’s push to overhaul investment promotion towards a more modern, transparent and technology-led model that uses digital tools and artificial intelligence to deliver sharper support for investors. Copyright, VietnamPlus, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Editor-in-chief, Mr. Tran Tien Duan.