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| People in Trạm Tấu District, Yên Bái Province, finishing up their home building to welcome the Lunar New Year. — VNA/VNS Photo Đinh Thuỳ |
HÀ NỘI — Many local areas across the country are speeding up removing temporary and dilapidated houses, hoping that residents will have warm homes to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tết) holiday.
Early this month, Hà Giang northern mountainous province inaugurated the first house built under the 'eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses' programme in Tam Sơn Town, Quản Bạ District.
The house belongs to Chu Thống Tài's family, a poor ethnic household living in especially difficult circumstances.
After nearly a month of construction, the house was solidly built with an area of 73sq.m, meeting the 'three hard' standards (hard foundation, walls and roof) with funding supported by the programme and contributions from the community and other benefactors.
Director of the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Đỗ Anh Tuấn said that located in the northernmost part of the country, Hà Giang had a high rate of poor and near-poor households.
By the end of October this year, the total number of households in need of housing support in the province is 5,848, of which 4,951 new houses need to be built and 897 houses should be repaired.
From now until the Lunar New Year, which will fall in next month, Hà Giang will focus on diversifying resources, calling on all people and businesses for different forms of support.
The province strives to complete over 500 houses before Tết, expecting that next year, the province will complete at least 500 other houses.
In Bắc Giang northern province, the programme to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses was launched at the beginning of this year and considered a key task of the provincial Party Committee.
Chairman of the provincial Fatherland Front Committee Đinh Đức Cảnh said: "After launching, the entire political system, people, philanthropists, and businesses joined in."
The province has called for more than VNĐ90 billion (US$3.5 million) to support the programme.
Thanks to that, the province has eliminated 1,393 temporary and dilapidated houses this year. It is expected to support about 1,000 households in need next year.
The same work has been done in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai.
Next year, the province plans to build and repair 8,178 houses, including 6,441 new houses and 1,737 repaired houses.
Specifically, it will build 133 new houses and repair 115 houses for families of those who served the country, build 4,417 new houses and repair 937 houses for poor households and build 1,891 new houses and repair 685 houses for near-poor ones.
To achieve the goals, Gia Lai Province asks for the strength of society along with the State’s support.
An Giang southern province aims to essentially eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses by the end of next year.
Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Hồ Văn Mừng encouraged agencies, organisations and communities to unite and actively contribute with the spirit of: "Those with a lot to contribute a lot, those with a little to contribute a little", to help 3,721 households repair and build new houses so that they can enjoy spring and welcome the Lunar New Year.
Đặng Thị Hoa Rây, chairwoman of the An Giang Province Fatherland Front Committee, said that after a week, the province received donations of over VNĐ223 billion ($8.7 million) from organisations and individuals to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses.
Community works together
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| Police officers support local poor residents to build new houses in Bắc Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Danh Lam |
According to statistics from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), over the past 10 years, Việt Nam has helped about 340,000 households of people with meritorious services to the revolution and over 800,000 poor and near-poor households with housing difficulties to have stable and safe accommodation.
However, by November this year, the country still has over 315,000 households with housing difficulties.
Of these, about 106,000 households with meritorious services facing housing difficulties, with a total estimated budget of over VNĐ4 trillion ($157 million) have been fully allocated and will be implemented next year.
Deputy Chief of the National Office for Poverty Reduction Nguyễn Lê Bình said that up to now, many localities established steering committees for the programme at three levels (province, district, commune) with the Party Secretary as the steering committee head.
The MoLISA has issued documents guiding localities to effectively realise the programme.
Happiness
Thào A Chú is an ethnic Mông man living Háng Tây Village, Pá Lau Commune, Trạm Tấu District in the northern mountainous province of Yên Bái.
His family of five is very poor. The family's income mainly depends on farming and forestry. With a low income, just enough to cover daily living expenses, the dream of a solid, spacious house was until now a distant dream for Chú.
This year, joy came to Chú's family when they received support from Pá Lau Commune with VNĐ60 million ($2,300).
After more than three months, the 100-square-metre house was completed.
Looking at his dream house, Chú said: "I never thought my family would have a house as spacious as this. With a new house, I feel very secure because when it rains and is windy, I have to work far away from home and don't have to worry about my wife and children anymore. I am grateful to the Party, the State and the authorities at all levels of Yên Bái Province for helping me realise my dream. I will strive to work hard to escape poverty."
Chairman of the Đắk Lắk Province Fatherland Front Committee Y Giang Gry Niê Knơng said that over the years, the Party and the State had always paid attention to solving housing problems and issued many policies to improve living standards, support poor households to have stable and safe housing.
“The work has gradually improved living standards, contributed to hunger eradication and sustainable poverty reduction for poor households,” he said.
This year, from many resources, Đắk Lắk Province has built, completed and handed over 1,552 solidarity houses for poor households, families with great contribution to the nation, and ethnic people.
“Many poor households with stable housing have strived to escape poverty, ensuring social security, socio-economic development, and national defence and security in the province,” he said.
According to reports of the people's committees of 15 districts, towns and cities, as of December 5 this year, the province has 6,759 households in need of support, of which 5,073 households need to build new houses and 1,686 households need support for repairs.
“The Đắk Lắk Province Fatherland Front Committee will advise the Steering Committee to pay attention, coordinate to build great solidarity houses for poor households,” he said.
The province aims to build and repair 1,500 houses by the end of next year. — VNS
