HCMC's 63-year-old apartment complex faces collapse as 141 families stay put

Vinh Hoi Apartment Complex is a severely deteriorated residential site in Ho Chi Minh City. It has operated for nearly six decades and was classified as Grade D after a January 2017 inspection. That is the highest danger level listed in the article. The weakened load-bearing structures create a direct collapse risk, but 141 households remain inside.

Damage is widespread. Cracked columns expose rusted reinforcement, while mold, peeling paint, and crumbling ceilings show long-term deterioration. Steel bars temporarily brace concrete columns along corridors. Wire mesh catches falling debris after concrete pieces began dropping. Some corridors have been cordoned off, and warning signs are posted throughout the complex.

The danger is also a housing and livelihood problem. Families live in small apartments and often depend on nearby customers or casual work. City officials have not selected a rebuilding investor. Authorities are urging relocation, while a zoning plan is being prepared to support reconstruction and attract private investment.

A Grade D structural-danger classification identifies a building as being in the highest danger category described in the article. At Vinh Hoi, inspectors found that the building’s load-bearing capacity had weakened. Their January 2017 report warned of a direct risk of collapse. This makes the classification more than a sign of poor appearance; it concerns the structure’s ability to carry its own weight safely.

The complex shows the danger physically. Concrete columns are cracked, and rusted steel reinforcement is exposed. Ceilings have crumbled along corridors, so wire mesh has been installed to catch falling pieces. Steel bars now brace some load-bearing columns. One resident reported that falling concrete once struck someone walking through a corridor.

The classification means residents face an unsafe environment, not that a collapse has already happened. Several corridors have been closed off, and warning signs are posted. The city still needs to relocate residents and arrange renovation or rebuilding, but no investor has yet been selected.

The complex still houses 141 households despite its collapse risk. Each apartment measures around 40 square meters. The article says multiple generations share these small homes, so the number of residents in each household can make the limited space especially difficult. The article does not provide a total population figure.

Crowding pushes ordinary activities into shared areas. Many households use corridors for cooking, storage, and other daily tasks. One resident, 50-year-old Tran My Phuong, was preparing a meal outside her apartment. These corridors are already dangerous because concrete has crumbled from ceilings and walls, and falling debris has injured at least one person.

The cramped housing reflects why relocation is complicated. Residents are not simply leaving empty units. They would have to move families, belongings, routines, and sources of income. Local authorities are urging temporary relocation, while some households hope compensation will let them buy new homes instead. The article gives no final relocation date or population count.

Residents remain because moving could create a financial and practical crisis. Tran My Phuong said her family has endured constant anxiety for more than 20 years. Still, they are staying in hopes of receiving compensation to buy a new home rather than being placed in temporary accommodation. This shows that safety is competing with uncertainty about what relocation would provide.

Livelihoods are another major reason. Most remaining residents rely on casual labor or local small businesses. They fear moving away would cost them regular customers and devastate already fragile incomes. Their apartments and nearby corridors are tied to daily work, cooking, storage, and family life.

The city and ward authorities continue urging residents to accept temporary housing and relocate. However, the article reports that Ho Chi Minh City has yet to select an investor to renovate or rebuild the site. Without a clear rebuilding and compensation outcome, families face a choice between immediate danger and an uncertain move.

If the weakened load-bearing structures fail, parts or all of the complex could collapse. The article already identifies a direct collapse risk and says the most severely decayed corridors were cordoned off. Such a failure could trap or injure residents, damage apartments, and send concrete onto walkways. The article does not state that neighboring buildings would collapse or describe their structural condition.

The existing signs show how failure can affect people before a full collapse. Cracked columns expose rusted reinforcement, while ceilings have crumbled and required wire mesh to catch debris. A resident said someone was hit on the head by falling concrete. Hundreds of cracks and crumbling walls create a persistent danger in shared corridors.

The risk also affects everyday access. Residents use corridors for cooking, storage, and daily activities, even though some areas are closed. Relocation and rebuilding could reduce the danger, but the city has not selected an investor. A zoning plan is being drafted to help attract one.

The city’s role is to address a complex officially classified as Grade D and organize a safe long-term solution. Ho Chi Minh City has not yet selected an investor to renovate or rebuild the site. Officials are drafting a 1:500-scale zoning plan, which will provide a blueprint for reconstruction and help attract private investors.

Khanh Hoi Ward authorities have a more immediate role. They continue urging remaining residents to accept temporary housing and relocate from the dangerous buildings. That step is intended to move people away from failing structures while a permanent project is prepared. Residents, however, worry about compensation, housing conditions, and lost customers.

Private investors would provide the investment needed for renovation or rebuilding after the planning framework is prepared. The article does not name a company or give a project deadline. Until an investor is selected and residents move, steel braces, barriers, warnings, and wire mesh remain temporary protections rather than a permanent solution.

Reinforced concrete depends on two materials working together. Concrete carries much of the compression, while embedded steel helps resist tension. In general engineering, water can enter through cracks or porous concrete. With oxygen and moisture, the steel reinforcement corrodes and expands. That expansion pushes against the surrounding concrete, causing more cracking and pieces to break away.

Once concrete cover crumbles, steel becomes more exposed to moisture and rust. Corroded steel can lose effective strength and bonding with the concrete. Cracked columns and damaged connections then carry loads less reliably. Age, repeated wetting, and long-term neglect can worsen this cycle. These mechanisms explain the visible pattern described at Vinh Hoi, although the article does not provide laboratory measurements.

The complex has exposed rusted reinforcement, crumbling ceilings, and severely damaged columns after nearly six decades. Inspectors found weakened load-bearing capacity and a direct collapse risk. Steel bars now brace columns, but they are temporary supports. Permanent safety requires relocation, repair, or rebuilding rather than continued reliance on emergency measures.