The family of 5 of Mrs. Pham Thi Hai lives in a 4-square-meter house in Binh Thanh district. Although it is cramped and inconvenient, they are forced to get acquainted because they have not had the conditions to leave.
My name is Pham Thi Hai, living on Bui Dinh Tuy street, Binh Thanh district (HCMC). My family currently has 5 people, living in a house with only 4 m2 wide. All activities of the members are not pleasant because the space is too narrow. 
In front of my house is Bui Dinh Tuy street. For about a year now, the house has become small because of the area cut many times for the widening of the road. 
I’ve lived here for 12 years, when the road was as small as an alley. The area of my original house here is more than 30 m2, now only 4 m2. 
My family has 4 adults and one small child. The ground floor is a place for us to sit and talk or eat together. The sudden change in the home space makes it difficult for everyone to live. In fact, we always want a new and more spacious place, but we have not had the conditions to relocate. 
We have increased the height of the house to expand the living space. This is the second floor. Because there is no area, the sleeping area is used as a study corner for children. 
The house was cramped so it was also filled with heat. My grandchildren often feel tired, especially at noon. In those times, we often take the children to school, park, or stay at the house of acquaintances and recent relatives. 
Walls are “deformed” in a way that makes the most of the space. This is the toilet area on the second floor, the area is just enough for one person to enter. 
The essential items in the family have no place to store them neatly. All of it was crammed into a corner like this by me and the kids. 
Many things are hung or supported high against the wall. The family has young children, so I always worry about them playing around and causing these things to fall, causing danger. 
Many objects are lined up at the place of family worship. When burning incense or offering the full moon, I have to move everything else to have room. This takes time and is quite annoying. 
Sometimes when I watch my grandchildren play around, I find this house very special. It looks like a super narrow hexagonal tube. The children only need to climb the stairs to reach the surrounding walls. 
Although the house became narrow, the road ahead was opened wide, traffic increased and it was convenient to sell banh mi and soft drinks. Thanks to that, this is the main source of income for the family. 
My family’s banh beo restaurant is also “unique” here. It was just large enough to accommodate a small table (if not over the curb). Occasionally there are customers who come to eat on the spot, most of them are acquaintances, finding the restaurant is tight, so they only buy and carry. 
Of course, if I was given a relocation arrangement, I would approve it. However, the family still has to calculate where to find a place to live for business and business to earn income. 
Having been at home for about a year now, me and my children and grandchildren are also trying to get used to the lifestyle and the way of life. However, I don’t think this is a good solution in the long run. 
Especially when my grandchildren get older, this house will not have enough space to live. At that time, we were forced to find another place to live.
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