Lived experiences in social housing: a case study of low-income families in Hanoi

This paper examines the lived experiences of low-income households in two social housing developments in Hanoi, Vietnam. Drawing on 30 semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and field observations, the study explores how residents experience, adapt to, and negotiate everyday life within state-provided housing. The findings reveal that, while social housing improves access to affordable and legally secure accommodation, significant challenges persist in relation to spatial adequacy, environmental comfort, and institutional responsiveness. Residents actively engage in informal adaptations and rely on social networks to cope with design limitations and governance gaps, highlighting the hybrid nature of formal and informal practices. Social interaction and community cohesion vary across sites, shaped by the interaction between spatial design, environmental conditions, and population stability. Importantly, social housing is widely perceived as a transitional rather than permanent solution, embedded within broader aspirations for mobility and improved living conditions. By conceptualizing social housing as a dynamic socio-spatial process, the paper contributes to debates on housing justice, urban governance, and lived urbanism in rapidly urbanizing contexts.