CaliToday (17/11/2025): Self-made lists with over 300 names and 4 AM roll calls collapsed into chaos as 'early alliances' clashed with newcomers, all vying for a chance to apply for 589 affordable apartments.
A scene of chaos and desperation unfolded in a Hanoi suburb as hundreds of people spent a sleepless night in a tense vigil, which descended into fiery arguments, simply for a chance to submit an application for social housing.
The official opening time for applications at the Thien Loc Cultural, Information, and Sports Center was 8:00 AM today, November 17. But by the evening of November 16, a massive crowd had already gathered, fully aware that the 589 available apartments in the CT3 Kim Chung project would be overwhelmed by demand.
To manage the situation themselves, the first arrivals—numbering over 300—formed a self-described "alliance" and created a system to protect their places in the queue.
The 'Vigilante' Roll Call System
This "alliance" created a handwritten list, which quickly grew to 330 names. To ensure fairness among themselves, they implemented a rigid, self-enforced roll call schedule:
First Roll Call: 9:00 PM, Nov 16
Second Roll Call: 12:00 AM (Midnight)
Third Roll Call: 4:00 AM
The group agreed on its own strict rules: Anyone not present for the 4:00 AM roll call would be immediately crossed off the list or moved down 10 places.
After the midnight check-in, some in the group left to rest or find food. Others, who had secured "prime spots" nearest the cultural center's gates, refused to move, fearing they would lose their position.
The 4 AM Boiling Point
The fragile, self-managed order collapsed as the 4:00 AM roll call approached.
Dozens, even hundreds, of new people had arrived in the intervening hours. They filled the gaps left by those who had momentarily departed and were furious to discover a "closed" list they had no part in creating.
As a representative from the "alliance" tried to conduct the 4:00 AM roll call, the crowd erupted.
"We are Group 1 here!" one person shouted. "Why move them down? Just cross their names off!" yelled another, supporting the list. "Rip it up! You're not the developer, why are you calling names?" a newcomer countered, sparking a chorus of agreement. "Just tear up the list! This is ridiculous!"
Amid the cacophony, rival factions began to form. "Come to this group! We only have 13 people!" one man shouted, trying to start a new, parallel list.
The original "alliance" representative pleaded for calm and order, but the roll call was repeatedly drowned out by shouting and jeering. It took over 30 minutes to get through the names, by which point the list's authority had all but evaporated.
New 'Authorized' Group Emerges, Is Shouted Down
Immediately after the fraught roll call, the situation escalated. A new group of about 60 people stood up, claiming they were "authorized by the developer" and would be creating the real list, promising "fairness for all."
This was met with even greater derision. The crowd, now deeply fragmented and suspicious, drowned them out with jeers and refused to let them speak. The "authorized" group eventually gave up, conceding that all lists were now "disrespected" and that getting inside at 8:00 AM would come down to "individual luck."
The Prize: An 18.4 Million VND/m² Apartment
The desperation is a stark illustration of Hanoi's severe affordable housing shortage. The frenzy was for the CT3 and CT4 social housing projects, a 1,521 billion VND development by a joint venture of Hanoi Housing Investment and Development Corporation and Viglacera.
While the project has 1,104 units, only 589 are available for sale to the public.
The price—which sparked the overnight chaos—is temporarily listed at 18.4 million VND (approx. $740 USD) per square meter, including taxes and fees. This price, while still a major investment, is a fraction of the market rate for commercial apartments in the rapidly appreciating capital city, making it a life-changing opportunity for those who can secure one.
As the doors officially opened at 8:00 AM, the competing lists were irrelevant, and the crowd surged forward, each person hoping their overnight ordeal would not be in vain.