Thousands of households now have safe, sturdy homes, strengthening public trust in local Party committees and authorities. With secure housing and essential living conditions ensured, residents can focus on production, stabilize their lives, and work toward escaping poverty.

As part of the program to eliminate makeshift and unsafe housing, the entire province conducted a comprehensive review to ensure support is provided to the right beneficiaries and in accordance with regulations. Priority was given to policy households, poor and near-poor families in need of home repairs or new housing. Initial data showed that in 2025, Điện Biên had 7,970 makeshift or severely degraded homes requiring repairs or reconstruction. After screening, the number was adjusted to 7,365 as some households had already received assistance from other programs, some had relocated, and others were no longer alive. Once the final list was approved, authorities from provincial to grassroots levels quickly implemented plans to build and repair homes, mobilizing contributions from families, communities, and armed forces. Guided by the principle “families take initiative, communities support”, beneficiary households were encouraged to choose home designs suited to their land conditions, ethnic customs, and economic circumstances, while communities helped with labor, material transport, and construction. This approach enabled households to use resources effectively while ensuring fairness and aligning with their needs.

Recognizing that eliminating makeshift housing is a major political mission reflecting the Party and State’s deep humanitarian commitment, the province set the goal of completing the program by the end of August 2025. Funding was urgently allocated to specific groups: VND 6.12 billion for 155 policy households and families of martyrs; VND 77.7 billion from the National Target Program on sustainable poverty reduction for 1,328 poor households; and VND 23 billion from the socio-economic development program for ethnic minorities and mountainous regions to support 524 households. In particular, the provincial initiative “Joining hands to eliminate makeshift housing” provided VND 304 billion to support 5,358 poor and ethnic minority households facing extreme hardship. With funding secured, localities moved swiftly to ensure all policy households and disadvantaged families could settle into safe, solid homes.

Authorities, residents, and armed forces joined efforts to implement the program through flexible, practical measures. Military units worked with local Party committees, authorities, and mass organizations to promote the program, while also assisting in surveys and identifying households in need. Soldiers from the army, police, and border guard forces helped design homes, transport materials, and directly participate in construction. In border areas, border guard officers and soldiers contributed 312 workdays transporting materials, leveling ground, and building 34 homes. Many ethnic minority communities in mountainous regions live in remote, scattered locations with rugged terrain and difficult access, making it impossible for vehicles to transport building materials. Much of the work had to be done manually, requiring significant effort. The image of soldiers carrying bricks, cement bags, and corrugated iron sheets up steep mountainsides reflects their solidarity and dedication to bringing secure homes to highland and border communities. Their efforts have earned admiration and gratitude from local authorities and residents, contributing greatly to the program’s overall success.

During the final stretch of the program (July 26 - August 2), flash floods and landslides struck the communes of Xa Dung, Tìa Dình, Na Son, Mường Luân, Sín Thầu and others, killing 10 people, sweeping away hundreds of homes, and cutting off many roads. In response, local authorities and armed forces mobilized quickly to evacuate residents, clear landslide sites, and identify resettlement areas for families who had lost their homes. Điện Biên province worked with Military Region 2 to build and repair more than 300 houses for disaster affected households, using funding from the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

Thanks to strong determination and a spirit of solidarity and shared responsibility, Điện Biên completed the 2025 program to eliminate makeshift and dilapidated housing by the end of August. The results brought not only satisfaction to provincial authorities and the political system but, most importantly, joy and security to the families who now have safe homes. Ensuring that no one is left behind in the effort to eradicate unsafe housing is a powerful testament to the unity between the Government and the people in improving living conditions for poor and vulnerable households in highland and border communities.