Following the effective control of the COVID-19 outbreak in Da Nang, the city-based businesses are trying to restore production activities and the number of migrant workers gradually returning to the city is soaring day by day, which is resulting in the soaring demand for housing. The settlement of accommodations for workers is now an urgent requirement.

The Hoa Cam IP-based worker's housing building located in Hoa Tho Tay Ward, Cam Le District is spaciously invested. Photo: N.V

Da Nang, currently, houses more than 27,000 migrant workers working in local industrial parks (IPs).
Most of them now live in rented accommodations near IPs for convenience. With limited finance sources, many people have no choice but renting downgraded, unsafe motel rooms for residence.

They usually complained about squeesing themselves and their families into small rented rooms built and operated by local landlords.

Since October 2020, the Hoa Cam IP-based 285-apartment Worker's Housing Project in Phase 1 developed by the Da Nang Confederation of Labour has been put into use.

Up to now, 31 workers’ families have settled down their lives there.

In the past time, this worker's housing site was temporarily used a quarantine establishment for COVID-19 close contacts during the pandemic outbreak.

In March 2022, when the pandemic was completely under control, this venue started welcome workers back for residence.

After a period of hiatus due to the pandemic, the demand for housing among local migrant workers has increased again in the first months of 2022.

Travelling a distance of over 80km every day to work at Apple Film Da Nang Co., Ltd, based in the Hoa Cam IP, Ms. Ngo Thi Vien, temporarily residing in Dai Loc District, Quang Nam Province can't remember how many times she had to face dangers along the way to the company and vice versa.

Ms. Vien complained that the days of working the evening shift, the journey between home and the place of work is not a small challenge for herself.

As a single mother with small children, she was forced to send her grandchildren to her grandmother and got used to going so early and coming home so late every day.

Many times, she looked for a rented house for her whole family but the rental charges were too high.

Ms Vien hoped that she and her beloved ones will be eligible for staying in the Hoa Cam IP-based worker's housing building so that she can feel secure and stick with the job for a long time.

Also pending the approval of an application for residence in the Hoa Cam IP-based worker's housing building, Ms. Le Thi Thuy An, a worker at this IP-located Fujikura Automotive Co., Ltd expressed her wish to move into this worker's housing site as soon as possible.

Ms. An confided that she, her husband and three school-aged children live together in a small house of her parents-in-law in Hoa Tho Tay Ward, Cam Le District. However, the house is too small and severely degraded, so every time it rains, the whole family is very insecure.

"In the rainy season, the house was wet with rain and the ceiling collapsed. Now, my family is just looking forwards to renting a worker's accommodation soon to settle down. Summer is coming, even the children can't stand the heat”, said An.

Mr. Tran Van Bien, the Deputy Head of the Authority of Da Nang Hi-Tech Park and Industrial Zones, said that his agency has always created favourable conditions for workers to have early access to housing to settle down their lives

According to the Chairman of the Da Nang Labour Federation Nguyen Duy Minh, in the immediate future, his agency will continue support qualified workers who are in a desperate need of accommodations in the city.

Labourers working for businesses located outside IPs but in the districts of Cam Le and Hoa Vang will be facilitated to access housing.

For the time being, each workers’ housing unit is still small, only 15 - 19m2, so it can not accommodate them and their member-intensive families. To solve this problem, the Da Nang Labuor Federation will facilitate young, unmarried workers to rent these housing units.

According to a survey by the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labor, the lack of housing and medical examination is a pressing concern among workers.

In addition, workers usually face termination of labor contracts at the age of 35-40 aside from the permanent risks of occupational diseases and accidents.

Reporting by NGOC PHUONG – Translating by A.THU