A new housing project in Hà Nội’s Bồ Đề Ward has sparked public outrage as displaced residents question why their land is being handed directly to state personnel.
The Latest: On the morning of June 20, the Bồ Đề Ward People’s Committee and TPG Group jointly broke ground on a social housing construction project.
- This development will be sold exclusively to officials, civil servants, and workers under the Office of the State President.
The Details: The project requires an investment of 1.087 trillion đồng and will feature 452 apartments across a total area of 7,751 square meters.
- It is situated on Nguyễn Thế Rực Street—the extended Hồng Tiến road section near Chương Dương Bridge—which is described as “the most beautiful road in the district.”
The land previously consisted of a vacant plot and a section belonging to the Chiều Bình ecological area and restaurant.
- Representatives from Luật Khoa contacted the Chiều Bình restaurant and were told that the establishment had handed over the land to the Bồ Đề Ward People’s Committee and received compensation two months ago.
At the groundbreaking event, Vũ Thị Thành, secretary of the ward Party Committee and chairwoman of the Bồ Đề Ward People’s Council, stated that the social housing carries “profound humanitarian meaning” and reflects the “care” of the authorities for the “living and working conditions of officials and civil servants.”
Online Backlash: In the comments under a news post on the Facebook page for Bồ Đề Ward, many residents expressed anger, calling the site the ward’s “prime land.”
- An account named Nguyễn Hoàng Linh wrote: “Drive residents out so officials can move in???”
- An account named Minh Phương asked: “How can ordinary residents buy units?”
- Another account, Giang Thai Ba, wrote: “Why not build resettlement housing there for households in Bồ Đề Ward affected by the Red River Landscape Boulevard project?”
The Background: Bồ Đề Ward is one of 16 wards included in the planning area of the Red River Landscape Boulevard project.
- This is a megaproject that could leave hundreds of thousands of Red River residents without homes or land, forcing them to move into resettlement areas.
The ward has become a focal point of public debate regarding land clearance.
- On one hand, the area is home to centuries-old settlements, including the Bắc Biên ancient village in Bồ Đề Ward. Residents there have repeatedly warned of the risk of cultural rupture and the loss of a thousand-year-old “soul” if the village is cleared and relocated.
- On the other hand, the Bồ Đề Ward People’s Committee was one of the first local authorities to threaten residents over hanging banners and signs, which is one of the most common forms of peaceful protest among affected communities. In late May, Vũ Thị Thành warned that authorities would conduct “direct persuasion” if residents did not remove the banners themselves.
To date, plans for land clearance, compensation, resettlement housing construction, and relocation arrangements remain unfinished, even as the demolition of residents’ homes has proceeded rapidly for months.
Affected residents continue to express frustration in various ways, stating their demands have not been adequately addressed.
Why It Matters: According to Tiền Phong and Lao Động newspapers, the project was “expected to be implemented from 2028,” but construction has already begun two years ahead of schedule.
Furthermore, the 2025 list of land recovery projects for Hà Nội identifies the site strictly as a “social housing construction investment project” and does not specify that it is reserved exclusively for staff under the Office of the State President.
Luật Khoa contacted the Bồ Đề Ward People’s Committee by phone and email to ask about these two specific issues but received no response.
Hoàng Nam wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on June 24, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights to the English translation.
