Social Housing 2026: Eligibility and Purchasing Procedures

Eligibility and Purchasing Procedures represents a critical state-supported initiative designed to provide affordable residential solutions for low-income citizens and policy beneficiaries. Long Phan Consulting Company specializes in navigating the Law on Housing 2023 to secure homeownership rights for eligible clients. Mastery of legal standards regarding subjects and documentation is essential for successful application.

What is social housing?

According to Clause 7, Article 2 of the Housing Law 2023,Social housing refers to housing that receives government support for eligible individuals who are entitled to housing support policies as stipulated by law.Housing Law 2023.

Accordingly, although these are state-subsidized housing units, they must meet the area standards for each type of housing as stipulated in Articles 27 and 28 of Decree 100/2024/ND-CP, specifically:

Type 1: Social housing refers to apartment buildings constructed as part of a project

Social housing, which includes apartment buildings constructed under a project, must meet the following requirements:

• They must be designed and constructed as self-contained units, complying with national technical regulations and conforming to applicable standards as prescribed by law;
• The standard usable area for each apartment is a minimum of 25m2 and a maximum of 70m2;
• The maximum usable area standard for apartments may be increased, but the increase shall not exceed 10% of the current maximum usable area of ​​70 m2, and the proportion of apartments in the project with a usable area exceeding 70 m2 shall not exceed 10% of the total number of social housing apartments in the project.

Social housing refers to individual houses built under a project, and this construction is only permitted in communes located in ethnic minority and mountainous areas as defined by the Prime Minister, and must comply with the following regulations:

• They must be designed and constructed in accordance with national technical standards and regulations on urban and rural planning;
• Building density, land use coefficient, and height of individual houses must comply with rural planning or architectural management regulations for rural residential areas approved by competent authorities;
• The standard land area for social housing plots is that individual houses must not exceed 70 m2, and the land use coefficient must not exceed 2.0 times.

Type 2: Social housing built by individuals for rent

• Beneficiaries include revolutionary contributors, low-income urban residents, industrial park workers, and civil servants as defined under Article 76 Law on Housing 2023.
• Military officers, professional soldiers, and specialized cipher personnel receiving state salaries are entitled to specific housing support policies.
• Individuals with two or more biological children and those subject to land recovery without residential compensation are eligible for priority access.

Eligible individuals for purchasing social housing

Based on the provisions of Article 76 of the 2023 Housing Law, supplemented by Point a, Clause 3, Article 29 of the Population Law (effective from July 1, 2026), the eligible subjects for purchasing social housing include:

1. People who have rendered meritorious services to the revolution and relatives of martyrs are eligible for housing improvement support as stipulated in the Ordinance on Preferential Treatment for People Who Have Rendered 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 people in urban areas.
6. Workers and laborers are employed at enterprises, cooperatives, and cooperative unions inside and outside industrial zones.
7. Officers, professional soldiers, non-commissioned officers of the People’s Armed Forces, police workers, civil servants, defense workers and officials currently serving in the armed forces; cryptography personnel, and other personnel working in cryptography organizations receiving salaries from the state budget.
8. Officials, civil servants, and public employees as defined by the law on officials, civil servants, and public employees.
9. The person has returned the public housing as stipulated in Clause 4, Article 125 of the 2023 Housing Law, except in cases where the public housing was reclaimed due to violations of the 2023 Housing Law.
10. Households and individuals whose land is subject to expropriation and whose houses must be demolished according to the law, but who have not yet received compensation from the State in the form of housing or land.
11. Students of universities, academies, colleges, vocational schools, and specialized schools as prescribed by law; students of public ethnic boarding schools.
12. Businesses, cooperatives, and cooperative unions within industrial zones.
13. A person who has two or more children.

>>> See more: Current Conditions for Enjoying Social Housing Support Policies

Eligibility requirements for purchasing social housing

According to Article 78 of the 2023 Housing Law and Article 30 of Decree 100/2024/ND-CP, amended by Decree 261/2025/ND-CP, in order to purchase or lease-purchase social housing, the subjects mentioned in Clauses 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 13 of Article 76 of the 2023 Housing Law must meet the following conditions:

Condition 1: Housing conditions as stipulated in Article 29 of Decree 100/2024/ND-CP:

• Applicants must not own any housing in the province or centrally-governed city where the social housing project is located.
• Not yet eligible to purchase or lease social housing.
• They have not yet received any form of housing support in the province or centrally-governed city where the social housing project is located, or they own a house in the province or centrally-governed city where the social housing project is located, but the average living space per person is lower than the minimum living space requirement.
• In cases falling under the provisions of points b, c, d, e, f, and g of Clause 1, Article 45 of the 2023 Housing Law, the applicant must not currently reside in public housing.

Condition 2: Income requirements as stipulated in Article 30 of Decree 100/2024/ND-CP:

1. For the following groups: low-income individuals in urban areas; workers and laborers employed in enterprises, cooperatives, and cooperative unions inside and outside industrial zones; and officials, civil servants, and public employees as defined by law, the following income requirements must be met:

• The applicant must be unmarried or certified as single: their average monthly net income must not exceed 20 million VND.
• The applicant must be unmarried or certified as single and raising minor children; their average monthly net income must not exceed 30 million VND.
• The applicant is legally married: the applicant and their spouse must have a combined average monthly income of no more than 40 million VND.

2. In the case of low-income urban residents without an employment contract, they must meet the income requirements and have their income verified by the local police station at their permanent residence, temporary residence, or current address.

Within 7 days from the date of receiving the application for verification, the commune-level police agency where the applicant resides permanently or temporarily, or where they reside at the time of the application, shall use the information from the population database to verify the income eligibility.

3. For households classified as poor or near-poor in rural areas; poor or near-poor households in rural areas frequently affected by natural disasters and climate change; and poor or near-poor households in urban areas, they must meet the criteria for being classified as poor or near-poor according to the government’s poverty standards.
4. For officers, professional soldiers, non-commissioned officers of the People’s Armed Forces, police workers, civil servants, defense workers and officials currently serving; cryptographers, and other personnel working in cryptographic organizations receiving salaries from the state budget, the income requirements stipulated in Article 67 of Decree 100/2024/ND-CP shall apply. 
5. In cases where individuals belong to poor or near-poor households in urban areas, they must provide proof of their status as such, as defined by regulations.
6. In the case of workers without labor contracts: The People’s Committee of the commune will verify the income eligibility.

>>> See more: Income Conditions for Beneficiaries of Social Housing Policies

Application for purchasing social housing

• Individuals must submit a formal Purchase Registration Form using the latest template issued under Decree 261/2025/NĐ-CP.
• Documentation must include certified proofs of subject eligibility, income status, and current residential conditions provided by competent authorities.
• Specialized cases, such as households affected by land recovery, require verification from the local People’s Committee per Decree 140/2025/NĐ-CP.

Latest procedures for buying social housing

Applicants submit dossiers directly to project developers, who issue a formal receipt and verify the documents against Law on Housing 2023 standards.

Developers submit the prospective buyer list to the Department of Construction, which conducts a 20-day review to eliminate duplicate beneficiaries.

Upon approval, parties execute the Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) and perform payments through bank transfers as agreed between the developer and buyer.

Long Phan Consulting Company provides advice on the conditions and procedures for purchasing social housing

Legal experts analyze specific income structures and residency status to determine the highest probability of application approval.

Consultants guide the detailed process for obtaining income confirmations from Commune People’s Committees or employers for workers without labor contracts.

Advisors represent clients in administrative dealings with state agencies to resolve bottlenecks during the Department of Construction review period.

Frequently Asked Questions about Eligibility and Purchasing Procedures Relating to Social Housing

Below are some frequently asked questions regarding the 2026 Social Housing Project for your reference:

Are households allowed to purchase individual houses or land plots in social housing in major cities?

No. According to current regulations, social housing refers to individual houses that are only permitted to be built in communes inhabited by ethnic minorities and mountainous regions. In urban areas or areas not covered by the above regulations, social housing must be apartment buildings.

(Legal basis: Clause 2, Article 27 of Decree 100/2024/ND-CP.)

Is it permissible for the area of ​​a social housing apartment to exceed 70 square meters?

It is possible, but subject to limitations. The law allows for an increase in the maximum usable area of ​​an apartment, however, the increase must not exceed 10% of the 70m2 limit (i.e., a maximum of approximately 77m2). At the same time, the number of apartments exceeding this standard must not exceed 10% of the total number of apartments in the project.

(Legal basis: Point c, Clause 1, Article 27 of Decree 100/2024/ND-CP.

Are university students eligible to purchase social housing?

No. Students attending universities, colleges, and vocational schools are only eligible for social housing rental support (or dormitory rental support), not for purchasing or lease-purchasing.

(Legal basis: Clause 11, Article 76 and Clause 2, Article 78 of the Housing Law 2023.)

If both husband and wife work, what is the total income required to qualify for social housing?

In cases where the applicant is married, the income requirement is calculated based on the combined monthly income of both spouses. This total income must not exceed 30 million VND per month to ensure eligibility for consideration.

(Legal basis: Point b, Clause 1, Article 30 of Decree 100/2024/ND-CP, amended by Clause 2, Article 1 of Decree 261/2025/ND-CP.)

How can freelancers without employment contracts prove their income?

Self-employed individuals need to apply for income verification at the People’s Committee of the commune where they reside. Within 7 days of receiving the application, this agency is responsible for verifying the citizen’s income for the preceding year.

(Legal basis: Clause 2, Article 30 of Decree 100/2024/ND-CP, amended by Clause 2, Article 1 of Decree 261/2025/ND-CP.)

Are buyers allowed to mortgage social housing to obtain bank loans?

Individuals eligible to purchase or lease-to-own social housing are only permitted to mortgage the housing at the Social Policy Bank or other credit institutions operating in Vietnam to borrow funds for the sole purpose of purchasing, leasing, or renovating/repairing the housing itself. Mortgage for other consumer purposes is not permitted.

(Legal basis: Clause 3, Article 78 of the Housing Law 2023 (Regulations on preferential loans)).

Where can I find official information about the launch of social housing projects?

Project information (selling price, application deadline, location) must be publicly disclosed on the website of the Department of Construction and the People’s Committee of the district where the project is located. In addition, the information must be published at least once in a newspaper that serves as the official publication of the local government.

(Legal basis: Point a, Clause 1, Article 38 of Decree 100/2024/ND-CP.)

Can individuals who already own a house but live in cramped conditions purchase social housing?

Yes. Individuals who already own their own homes may still be considered for social housing if the average living space per person in their household is lower than the minimum living space stipulated by the Government.

(Legal basis: Point a, Clause 1, Article 78 of the Housing Law 2023.)

Conclusion

Adherence to regulations regarding eligibility and conditions for purchasing social housing ensures your long-term legal rights. If you encounter any difficulties during the application process or require an assessment of your income under the new regulations, please contact us. Long Phan Consulting Company team of experts is ready to assist you via hotline 1900636389 to provide the best possible solution.