Hung said more than 140 families around the district are living in temporary housing, with several households enduring such living conditions dating back to 1998 when a project on Nguyen Huu Canh Street was started.

The city’s resolution No. 57 had required the resettlement process to finish by the end of June 2007.

Sixteen families in the district have been permitted to resettle on their old land but seven have agreed to live at a local apartment building, Hung said. The other nine want to return to their former land once the ongoing projects are completed and won’t complain about the tardiness of the process.

However, Dang Van Khoa, a member of HCMC People’s Council, showed a picture of construction work in a district resettlement area that had come to a standstill over the past 10 years.

Hung said it may take at least two to three more years to finish the various projects. Since the government is urging local authorities to clear out all temporary residences, the district may be forced to relocate all affected individuals into a designated apartment block.

Reported by Minh Nam