Zero Dong Apartments for People Struggling with Housing in Hanoi

	Swedish Couple Devoted to Charity Works in Vietnam
	Organizations, Individuals Support Hanoi in Covid-19 Fight
	Vietnamese 'Santa' Delivers Tet Gifts To Needy Children

Hoang Thu Dong, 20, woke up late so he could skip breakfast. For over a month, the young man from Nghe An province depended entirely on charity meals. He had spent many days without anything to eat.

Dong came to Hanoi in early July to find a job, which he lost after just two weeks. Dong knew that his salary was not enough for him to live alone in Hanoi, so he moved in with his friends. They left Hanoi after a short while, and Dong was alone again. He did not know what to do.

Understanding Dong’s situation, a person from the same province introduced him to the “0 Dong apartments” on Tan Trieu Street. Over the phone, a stranger said, “You do not have a place to live now, do you? I will give you the address and help you take a Covid test, then you can stay here until the pandemic is over.”

In addition to providing free accommodation, Nguyen Xuan Thong gives each person VND 50,000 per day to buy food. Photo: Lenh Thang

Walking into the 10-floor modern building, Dong still could not believe he would stay here in the coming days. Dong is assigned to a room with 2 other men of his age. His “welcoming ceremony” included 2 packages of instant noodles and some eggs to relieve his hunger. In the next few days, with financial support from the host, Dong and his friends could go out and buy more food.

“I did not think much at the beginning, but when I received my room, I was so surprised. It is very comfortable here,” Dong said.

In this building, other than Dong’s room, 5 other rooms are hosting 20 jobless people, homeless people and those with life-threatening illnesses. Each room is given rice and instant noodles and an allowance of VND 50,000/person.

Inside a room for people struggling due to Covid. Photo: Kinh te do thi

Hoang Xuan Tuan, 38, is another case from Nghe An province that has not earned any income for many months. Hoping to keep his family safe, Tuan did not return home nor tell his wife about his current dilemma. On August 23, Tuan accidentally knew about Thong’s “0 Dong apartments” and called Thong for support when he had no money left in his pocket.

The owner of the “0 Dong apartments” is Nguyen Xuan Thong, 28, a director of a real estate company. The 10-floor building is his company’s office. When Hanoi enters social distancing to prevent Covid, Thong refused all requests for renting rooms to reserve the apartments on the 5th and 8th floors for vulnerable people.

The idea came to Thong when he saw people staying under the bridge on Pham Hung Road. He looked through the data of his hometown’s association and posted it on social media to reach out to those in need.

“I was from a poor family in central Vietnam. I had experiences days without anything to eat and coming to Hanoi on my own so I understand what they are going through and what they need the most right now,” Thong said.

After two days, Thong could not anticipate the number of people who needed his help. He decided to use 15 other lodging rooms and apartments that belonged to his company in Dong Da, Thanh Xuan and Nam Tu Liem districts so he could support more people.

Thong uses all apartments on the 5th and 8th floor of his office to provide free accommodation for those in need. Photo: Lenh Thang

According to Nguyen Tuan, Thon’s employee, “it is fortunate that we provide apartments and office space for rent so now we have many rooms to help them. The allowance of VND 50,000 per day is covered by Thong.”

For the company’s partners who are struggling to pay for the rent, Thong also gives them as much support as he can. “For anyone who calls us to ask for a place to live, we arrange a Covid test for them and give them a room. Before we receive new people, Thong asks me to check the room’s electrical and water system and equipment to make sure everything works well,” Tuan said.

The Head of the 2nd residential group in Tan Trieu Hoang Thi Dam said the group supported Thong’s initiative as it was a humane act for the community. “We talk to Thong’s company every day and give those staying at Thong’s place coupons so they can buy food and medicine during this time,” Dam said.

Admitting people to his place during Covid, Thong is placing himself at risk if any of them is Covid positive. “When I decided to do this, I have prepared myself for the worst scenario that may come at any time. I hope that once the social distancing order is lifted, I can help jobless people to find a stable job,” Thong said.

Charity Meals Made for Poor in Phu Yen amid Covid-19 Thousands of meals are being cooked every day and sent to poor patients in hospitals in Phu Yen province when Covid breaks out

Vietnamese 'Santa' Delivers Tet Gifts To Needy Children During the previous Tet season, when people are reunited with their family, one Vietnamese person traveled alone from the South to the North, sending gifts ...

Foreigner in Vietnam distributes food to homeless in Covid hotspot For more than 3 months, a British expat in Ho Chi Minh City has been handing out hundreds of free meals to the homeless, lottery ...