INTRODUCTION

This chapter discusses the role of Hà Nội's wards in enforcing the housing regimes of Vietnam from 1954 to 1998, and how that role affects Vietnamese party-state–society relations. It argues that Hà Nội's wards play a critical role in mediating between the party-state and ward residents. It examines illegal housing construction in Hà Nội from 1975 to 1995, and what the wards did to deal with it. While the time-frame is so limited, the problems of illegal construction is still a current problem of law and order in urban areas and it represents the disregarding and/or negotiation of party-state boundaries. Along with raised living standards and new areas of urbanization, illegal construction has spread beyond Hà Nội.

By “housing regime” I mean official “answers to questions such as who may use [housing units], do what with [them], and with what rights and obligations.” Therefore, a housing regime has official rules aimed at regulating various housing issues and activities, such as ownership, purchase, use, construction, and renovation. There are two distinct Vietnamese housing regimes from 1954 to the present in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV, 1945–75) and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV, from 1975). The first, which I call the socialist housing regime, lasted from 1954 to 1990. Its main feature was heavy state regulation in all housing matters. Housing demand was mainly to be satisfied by the state. The second, which I call the liberalized housing regime, began in 1991 and continues until now. Its main feature has been allowing the private sector to participate in the housing sector.

The socialist housing regime drastically and negatively affected housing conditions, especially after 1975. It discouraged private construction by requiring numerous licences and permits. Moreover, the state bureaucracy took many months, even years, to issue those licences and permits.