Vietnam’s land and housing reforms stick to the statist status quo

Vietnam’s land, housing and real estate laws are publicly perceived as confusing and complex. A resolution of the Communist Party’s Central Committee issued on 16 June 2022 raised public hopes when it stated that the new laws should harmonise the interests of the people, investors and the state. Yet the government’s draft land and housing laws have been criticised by local actors and business associations for failing to address systemic land and housing issues.

Since land is exclusively controlled by the state, a…