Handing Over the Flood-Resilient Housing Model and Expanding a Community Action Network for Climate Adaptation

6 days ago

2 min read

Since 2013, Nhà Chống Lũ (Flood-Resilient Housing), a programme of Sống Foundation, has supported the construction of safe homes for disadvantaged households in areas affected by natural hazards and climate change. Beyond providing secure shelter, the programme aims to empower families and strengthen their adaptive capacity, enabling them to protect their assets and livelihoods and gradually build sustainable lives. By 2026, it had supported the construction of 1,289 safe homes, progressively expanding from individual households to safe communities, resettlement villages, and sustainable development initiatives.

Building on these achievements, Sống Foundation recognised that transferring the model and encouraging participation by social organisations were necessary steps towards broader impact. The year 2023 marked an important transition when the Nhà Chống Lũ programme was handed over to the Nhà Chống Lũ social enterprise to operate independently. Under this new model, Sống Foundation shifted its focus to strategic advice, resource connections, and technical support, while the social enterprise took the lead in developing housing solutions, mobilising local resources, and working closely with residents.

The growing network of partners further demonstrates the effectiveness of this handover model. In 2025, alongside supporting the Nhà Chống Lũ social enterprise in delivering safe homes in Quảng Trị, Sống Foundation worked with the Think Playgrounds social enterprise to provide advice and raise funds for the Sông Hồng Flood-Resilient Housing Project. Continuing this direction, in 2027 Sống Foundation will work with the Nhà Chống Lũ social enterprise and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Gò Nổi Commune to implement the Gò Nổi Flood-Resilient Housing Project 2027. These partnerships show that Nhà Chống Lũ has grown beyond a single programme into a shared platform that social organisations can adapt and develop according to their own strengths.

This handover also marks Sống Foundation's transition from an organisation taking direct action to a “foundation of communities taking action”—Sống Community. In this new model, Sống Foundation connects resources, shares knowledge, and empowers social enterprises, helping to create a sustainable collaborative ecosystem in which models developed through practical experience can continue to spread and strengthen communities' ability to adapt to climate change.