Not having enough homes in big cities causes serious problems, and only the government can solve this. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The lack of affordable housing in big cities such as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi has become a serious problem, pushing families to live far from the centre or in small, poor-quality rooms. Some people think only the government can solve this problem. I partly agree: government action is very important, but private companies and communities must also help.胡志明市、河内等大城市普遍缺乏可负担住房,已成为一个严重的问题,迫使许多家庭迁往远离市中心的地方,或居住在狭小、条件差的房间里。有人认为只有政府才能解决这一问题。我部分同意这一观点:政府的行动非常重要,但私营企业和社区也必须发挥作用。

It is true that governments have special power to solve the root causes of housing shortages. They can plan land use, change zoning rules, and release public land for building homes. In Vietnam, for example, programmes such as low-interest loans for social housing help more people afford a home. Governments can also build big infrastructure projects, like new metro lines, which make it possible to build homes in areas that used to be too far from the city centre. Without this kind of government planning, private companies alone would probably keep building only in expensive central areas.确实,政府拥有解决住房短缺根本原因的特殊权力。他们可以规划土地使用、修改分区规则,并释放公共用地用于建房。例如在越南,针对社会住房的低息贷款等计划,帮助更多人负担得起住房。政府还可以建设大型基础设施项目,如新的地铁线路,使得以前离市中心太远、无法建房的地区变得可以开发。若没有这种政府层面的规划,私营企业单独行动很可能只会继续在昂贵的市中心地区建房。

However, leaving everything to the government is not enough. Private companies are often faster than the government at building different types of housing, such as apartments for young workers. In my own experience working at a coffee chain in Ho Chi Minh City, I saw how public and private effort worked together to improve a neighbourhood. The government cleaned up the Nhieu Loc canal and built a walking path, and soon after, small private cafes and shops opened along it, including two that I now help manage. This shows that good housing and good neighbourhoods need both government and private input.然而,把一切都交给政府是不够的。私营企业在建造不同类型住房方面,例如为年轻上班族提供的公寓,往往比政府更快。以我自己在胡志明市一家咖啡连锁店工作的经历来看,我亲眼见证了公共与私营力量如何共同改善一个社区。政府清理了义安渠并修建了步行道,不久之后,一些小型私营咖啡馆和商店便沿着渠边开张,其中包括我现在协助管理的两家分店。这说明良好的住房和社区环境,需要政府和私营部门的共同投入。

In conclusion, government action is essential for solving the structural causes of housing shortages, but it cannot succeed alone. Private companies and communities also need to play their part to create truly livable cities.总之,政府行动对于解决住房短缺的结构性原因至关重要,但仅靠政府无法成功。私营企业和社区也需要发挥各自的作用,才能打造真正宜居的城市。

The shortage of affordable housing in cities such as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi has become a serious and highly visible problem, pushing many families to the outskirts or into cramped, substandard accommodation. While some argue that only the government can resolve this issue, I partly agree: state intervention is essential, but it must be supported by private developers and local communities as well.胡志明市、河内等城市可负担住房的短缺已成为一个严重且十分显著的问题,迫使许多家庭迁往城市边缘,或居住在拥挤、条件不达标的住所中。尽管有人认为只有政府能够解决这一问题,我部分同意这一观点:国家的干预至关重要,但也必须有私营开发商和当地社区的共同支持。

Governments are undoubtedly well positioned to address the structural roots of housing shortages. Their legislative power allows for comprehensive land-use planning, zoning reform and the release of public land for residential development. In Vietnam, policies such as subsidised loan packages for social housing and quotas requiring commercial projects to include units for low-income buyers demonstrate how state-led measures can widen access to housing. Governments can also coordinate large-scale infrastructure, such as new metro lines, that makes previously unviable outskirts suitable for development, something private developers alone are rarely able to achieve.毫无疑问,政府在应对住房短缺的结构性根源方面处于有利地位。其立法权力使全面的土地利用规划、分区改革以及公共用地用于住宅开发成为可能。在越南,诸如为社会住房提供的补贴贷款计划,以及要求商业项目预留一定比例单位给低收入购房者的配额政策,展示了国家主导的措施如何扩大住房的可及性。政府还能协调大型基础设施建设,例如新的地铁线路,使原本不适合开发的城市边缘地区变得适合建设,而这是私营开发商单独很难实现的。

Nevertheless, placing the entire burden on the government overlooks the important contributions of private developers and local communities. Efficient construction methods and varied housing models, from serviced apartments to co-living spaces, often originate from the private sector, which can respond to demand faster than state agencies. In my experience working at a coffee chain in Ho Chi Minh City, I witnessed how combined public and private effort transformed a neighbourhood. The renovation of the Nhieu Loc canal into a landscaped walking path was a government-led project, yet it quickly attracted a wave of small, privately-run cafes along its banks, including two branches I now help manage, showing how public infrastructure and private initiative can work hand in hand.然而,把全部责任都推给政府,忽视了私营开发商和当地社区的重要贡献。高效的建筑方法和多样化的住房模式,从服务式公寓到共居空间,往往源自私营部门,而私营部门对市场需求的反应速度比国家机构更快。以我在胡志明市一家咖啡连锁店工作的经历来看,我亲眼见证了公共与私营力量的结合如何改造了一个社区。将义安渠改造为带景观的步行道是一个政府主导的项目,但很快便吸引了一批小型私营咖啡馆沿岸开设,其中包括我现在协助管理的两家分店,这表明公共基础设施与私人创业精神能够携手并进。

In conclusion, while government intervention remains vital for tackling the structural roots of housing shortages, relying on the state alone is insufficient. A genuinely effective approach requires active participation from private industry and local communities to build diverse and truly livable cities.总之,尽管政府干预对于解决住房短缺的结构性根源依然至关重要,但仅靠国家是不够的。真正有效的解决方案,需要私营行业和当地社区积极参与,共同打造多样化且真正宜居的城市。

The shortage of affordable housing in cities such as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi has become one of the most visible symptoms of rapid urbanisation, pushing young families to the outskirts and trapping many workers in cramped, substandard rooms. While some argue that only the government can resolve this predicament, I believe that although state intervention is indispensable, it must be complemented by contributions from private developers and local communities to achieve a lasting solution.在胡志明市、河内等城市，经济适用房的短缺已成为快速城市化最明显的症状之一，将年轻家庭推向郊区，也让许多打工者被困在狭小简陋的出租屋里。虽然有人认为只有政府才能解决这一困境，但我认为，尽管政府的干预不可或缺，它仍须辅以私营开发商和地方社区的贡献，才能实现持久的解决方案。

Undeniably, governments are uniquely positioned to tackle the systemic roots of housing shortages. Their legislative power allows for comprehensive land-use planning, zoning reform, and the release of public land for residential development. In Vietnam, policies such as subsidised social housing loan packages and mandated quotas requiring commercial projects to set aside units for low-income buyers illustrate how state-led measures can widen access to housing across different income groups. Moreover, only the government can coordinate the large-scale infrastructure, such as new metro lines and ring roads, that makes previously unliveable outskirts viable places to build homes. Without such top-down initiatives, market forces alone tend to concentrate development in already expensive central districts, exacerbating inequality and speculative price bubbles.毫无疑问，政府在应对住房短缺的系统性根源方面具有独特优势。其立法权可以推动全面的土地利用规划、区域调整，并释放公共用地用于住宅开发。在越南，诸如社会住房补贴贷款方案，以及要求商业项目预留一定比例单位给低收入购房者的强制配额政策，都说明了政府主导的措施如何能扩大不同收入群体获得住房的机会。此外，只有政府才能统筹诸如新地铁线路和环城公路等大规模基础设施建设，从而让原本难以居住的郊区变成可以建房的可行之地。如果没有这种自上而下的举措，单靠市场力量往往会使开发集中在本已昂贵的市中心区域，从而加剧不平等和投机性房价泡沫。

However, placing the entire burden on the government overlooks the vital contributions of private developers and local communities. Efficient construction methods and diverse housing models, from serviced apartments to co-living spaces for young workers, largely originate from the private sector, which can respond to demand far faster than state agencies. In my experience as an operations supervisor for a coffee chain in Ho Chi Minh City, I have watched firsthand how combined public and private effort reshapes urban life beyond housing itself. The renovation of the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal, once a notoriously polluted slum waterway, into a landscaped corridor with a jogging and cycling path was a government-led project, yet it quickly attracted a wave of small, privately-run cafes and shops along its banks, including two branches I now help manage. This partnership between public infrastructure and private initiative transformed a neglected district into a genuinely livable neighbourhood, showing that housing quality cannot be separated from the broader urban fabric that only communities and businesses can weave together.然而，将全部责任都归咎于政府，忽视了私营开发商和地方社区所发挥的重要作用。高效的建筑方式和多样化的住房模式——从服务式公寓到面向年轻上班族的合租空间——大多源自私营部门，其响应需求的速度远快于政府部门。在我作为胡志明市一家连锁咖啡品牌运营主管的经历中，我亲眼见证了公私合力如何重塑住房之外的城市生活。曾经以污染严重、贫民窟林立而闻名的绍儿-市义河（Nhiêu Lộc - Thị Nghè）经过改造，变成了拥有慢跑和骑行道的景观廊道，这是一个政府主导的项目，但很快便吸引了大批私人经营的小咖啡馆和店铺沿岸开业，其中就包括我如今协助管理的两家分店。这种公共基础设施与私人主动性之间的合作，把一个曾被忽视的区域变成了真正宜居的社区，说明住房品质无法与只有社区和企业才能共同编织出的更广泛城市肌理割裂开来。

In conclusion, while governmental intervention remains paramount for tackling the structural roots of urban housing shortages through policy, land reform, and infrastructure, an exclusive reliance on the state is insufficient. A genuinely effective and sustainable approach requires active participation from private industry and community groups to build diverse, resilient, and truly livable cities.总而言之，尽管政府干预对于通过政策、土地改革和基础设施建设来解决城市住房短缺的结构性根源仍然至关重要，但完全依赖国家是不够的。一种真正有效且可持续的方法，需要私营行业和社区团体的积极参与，共同建设多元、有韧性且真正宜居的城市。