In the two years since the implementation of Decision 167-2008/QD-TTg by the Prime Minister on assisting poor families with housing, the central province of Quang Binh has supported the construction of 3,200 houses for the poor. Each house has been provided with VND11 million and in remote and ethnic minority-inhabited areas volunteers and border soldiers have helped with the building process. A majority of the houses have been built with stone foundations and cover an area of over 24 square meters each. In some mountain communes, houses have been built on stilts to suit ethnic minority people’s customs and practices. In addition, each family has been given a loan worth VND8 million at an interest rate of only 3% per year. So far 3,200 houses have been completed, accounting for 74% of the project’s plan. (cpv.org.vn Dec 31)
