Ho Chi Minh City Residents Vote on Transit Levy, Housing Tax July 25

Ho Chi Minh City's Election Commission released its official ballot guide on Thursday, laying out three separate referendum measures scheduled for July 25 that will affect household budgets across the metropolitan area. Residents will vote on a regional transport development levy, a property value tax, and a public housing bond measure. The ballots mark the first direct household fiscal votes in the city since 2019 and come as inflation remains elevated and wage growth has slowed.

City officials say the referendums are necessary to fund critical infrastructure. Ho Chi Minh City's transport system has strained under rapid urbanization. The Metropolitan Development Authority reported in its May 2026 transportation assessment that commute times on key routes including the Ben Thanh to Thu Duc corridor have increased 22 percent over three years. The housing referendum addresses a separate crisis: median rental prices in Districts 1, 2, and 3 have risen 34 percent since 2022, according to the city's Real Estate Market Monitor published last month. Public transit expansion and affordable housing, the city argues, require immediate funding.

What the Measures Would Cost Households

The transport levy would impose a 0.5 percent tax on monthly household utility bills, projected to raise 420 billion VND annually. For a household using standard electricity and water in District 7, this translates to roughly 85,000 VND per year. The property value tax would apply at 0.3 percent of assessed home value for properties valued above 2 billion VND. A homeowner in Thu Duc with a 3 billion VND property would pay approximately 90,000 VND yearly. The housing bond allows the city to issue debt serviced by a 2 percent surcharge on residential rental registrations, expected to cost renters an additional 5,000 to 8,000 VND monthly depending on property size.

Combined, the three measures would affect different segments of the population unevenly. Owner-occupants in central districts face the largest aggregate burden. Renters, who comprise approximately 42 percent of the city's population according to the 2023 Census Bureau survey, would bear costs primarily through the rental surcharge. Low-income households in outer districts like Can Tho and Nha Be, where median property values sit below the tax threshold, would pay mainly through utilities and rents, totaling roughly 85,000 to 120,000 VND annually.

Revenue Targets and Implementation Timeline

City planners project the transport levy will fund 6.2 kilometers of new Metro Line 3 construction between Ben Thanh and Thu Duc, scheduled to open in 2031. The property tax revenue is allocated to a dedicated affordable housing fund managed by Ho Chi Minh City Urban Development Corporation. Documents filed with the Municipal Finance Office on June 15 show the city expects to construct 8,400 units of subsidized housing in Districts 9 and 12 by 2028 using revenue from these sources.

The ballot guide, available at all district election offices and online through the city's official portal since July 3, includes detailed fiscal analysis, comparison tables showing per-household impact by district, and a 14-page appendix outlining the city's financial modeling. Voting takes place July 25 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 2,847 polling stations citywide. Results are expected by 11 p.m. the same day. Passage requires simple majority approval on each measure.