Disaster-resistant housing assistance benefits disadvantaged in central region

Approximately 40,000 poor households in Central Vietnam’s flood risk areas are to receive assistance to build storm-resistant homes, in an effort to ensure their safety and help them escape from poverty, a conference heard in Quang Nam province on September 26.

Flooding during November 2013 inundated houses in Huong Tra town of central Thua Thien-Hue province. (Image credit: VNA)

According to a decision by the Prime Minister, the beneficiaries will each be provided with VND12-16 million (US$752), allocated from the State budget.

Additionally, they can also borrow a maximum of VND15 million from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies at an interest rate of 3% per year over a 10-year-period.

Minister of Construction, Trinh Dinh Dung addressed the conference, organised by his ministry, and called upon local authorities to map out precise implementation plans, accelerate the design process for models specific to each area and culture, and promptly solve difficulties arising during implementation.

This programme is an expansion of a Government project on housing for people in flood-hit areas, piloted in seven central provinces since 2012. According to a survey, 700 households now have safe shelters that are resistant to storms and floods.

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)