The G6A Thanh Cong apartment complex, hosting 49 families, has been in use since 1987. The structure is now considered to be one of the most unsafe housing complexes in Hanoi.
The Thanh Cong apartment complex in Ba Dinh central district now includes 68 buildings with 2-5 floors. It was built in the 1979-1982 period, with the total population of 13,400 people. Most of its houses have already been severely degraded.
Two houses of the complex have been tilted and split apart from each other, leaving a gap spanning a meter. The area has since been barricaded to ensure safety.
Several families have relocated from the third floor of the complex, leaving behind objects scattered around.
A family who stays on the second floor of the complex said they agree with the city's initiative to renovate old apartment complexes. However, they are still undecided on plans to build relocation homes for affected families.
The C8 Giang Vo apartment complex, built in 1979, has become degraded after over four decades in use. A section of the complex has been barricaded, and its families have already relocated.
Previously, the Ba Dinh District People's Committee has approved relocation plans for 36 families and an organization, with over VND4 billion ($156,739) for the relocation.
The C8 Giang Vo apartment complex includes rows of houses with five floors, each unit spanning 30 m2.
The complex currently has 23 buildings with 2-5 floors, hosting around 7,600 families.
The Ngoc Khanh apartment complex, also in Ba Dinh, currently has 58 buildings with 2-4 floors, built before 1994. The houses host around 6,500 people.
The structures have already been degraded over time, with several families having already moved away.
Nguyen Thi Huong, who lives on the 5th floor of the Ngoc Khanh apartment complex, has to get used to the numerous cracks on the walls every day. The corridors have been reinforced by steel frames for several years.
Huong said she has been living at the place for decades, and wishes for the complex to be renovated for safety.
The walls of the complex have already been separated from the stairs, leaving behind a gap spanning 2 centimeters. While the stairs have already been reinforced with steel frames, they too have also been degraded over time.
The people living in the complex said they want appropriate policies to renovate or rebuild the houses.
Le Quang Cuong, who has been living on the 5th floor of the Ngoc Khanh apartment complex for 35 years, said his family of 5 wants authorities to renovate the houses.
Hanoi currently has over 1,500 old apartment complexes, Over the last 20 years, the city has begun renovating them, but so far only 19 projects have been completed, while 14 are ongoing.
One of the main reasons for slow renovation progress is regulations on the maximum number of floors, at most 24 floors.
Several apartment complexes in downtown areas are now facing collapse as they wait for renovation projects.
