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Opinion: Pochentong Can Pioneer a Model for Affordable Housing
- Apr 20
- 5 min read
Research Fellow
Future Forum's research fellow Ses Aronsakda was published in Cambodianess on April 20th, 2026. Check out the original article HERE, and read it below!
For many Phnom Penh families, a house conveniently close to the city with lush green spaces, reliable public services and a comfortable atmosphere would be idyllic. Yet for more than half of residents, homeownership is financially out of reach.
The biggest hurdles to affordable housing in the city are land prices and the privately funded, built and operated model. Generally, past affordable housing projects were most challenged by the high price of land in Phnom Penh. The usual public-private partnership framework for projects also meant that profit incentives from real estate developers undermined the possibility of affordable units.
Consequently, all projects did not meet the established affordability level and offered too few units compared to demand. Moreover, they tended to assume that housing meant ownership, thus ignoring renters. For now, the government seems adamant in remaining on this path.
Alleviating the issue may start with Pochentong Airport's redevelopment into a modern, livable and human-centered community.
The decommissioned airport is on publicly owned land and is located in Pou Senchey district, which is experiencing high population growth. It therefore provides the perfect opportunity to pioneer a new strategy for affordable housing, one that equally emphasizes both rent and ownership.
Pochentong offers an opportunity to develop an affordable housing model, where the land is already publicly owned, reducing a significant portion of the cost. When coupled with a prudent financing mechanism and housing management under nonprofit Social Housing Enterprises, the former airport will enable a bold step towards achieving truly affordable housing for Phnom Penh residents.
Implementing affordable housing in Pochentong is a prerequisite for redevelopment into a productive district. Reaching an ideal population density guarantees the smooth operation of services like public transportation, enhances commerce, and ensures the viability of creative and inventive initiatives.
Moreover, by prioritizing groups who need housing most, turning parts of Pochentong to economical units contributes to fulfilling the National Housing Strategy and social protection requirements for housing and shelter for all.
A Public Trust For Housing
To enable this strategy, the government will need to establish a National Housing Foundation as a public trust, taking inspiration from the recently established National Research Foundation.
This is a crucial step to ensure properties are handled and managed transparently and efficiently.
Pochentong can serve as the role model for this concept. Being the trustor, the government can put publicly owned land and existing buildings into the trust without cost and risks.
The trustee should consist of the board of the National Housing Foundation, which will have members from relevant ministries, representatives of housing associations, resident representatives, etc.
The beneficiaries will be Social Housing Enterprises (SHEs), established as nonprofit social enterprises to operate and manage the affordable housing units to fulfill the needs and benefits of residents.
SHEs will allow for smooth and efficient operations, which is a crucial component to providing housing services. Rather than burdening government resources, the housing association will take on the responsibility for management operations. While still working under the framework of the trust to protect public interests.
This strategy brings the benefit of a public-private partnership without sacrificing public interests. Where social enterprises can efficiently run day-to-day operations and maintenance. Concurrently, the state retains legal ownership of Pochentong, including existing buildings and newly built ones.
Financing Pochentong’s Affordable Residences
While the land and existing buildings are already publicly owned, their development will be expensive. Thus, financing the construction of Pochentong’s affordable residences is the second crucial step, which must be done at scale and without bottlenecking the national budget.
The government should issue bonds which will be targeted towards private buyers and public funds such as the National Social Security Funds or NSSF. Once the housing units are completed and the units sold or leased, the government can recoup the cost and return the fund back to buyers with interest as agreed in the bond yield. This proposal will secure funding for construction without straining public spending.
Furthermore, to maintain affordable prices for residents, the SHEs should receive subsidies for utilities and tax exemptions from the government. With additional tax breaks extended to home buyers and renters.
Lastly, a National Housing Agency will act as an independent watchdog and regulator for social housing, maintain quality and affordable prices, and mediate on behalf of residents when issues occur.
New Homes and Residents of Pochentong
Affordable housing should extend to those who seek ownership and to renters, with a rent-to-ownership pathway also available. Residents who bought units must live there for a required number of years before being able to sell the unit and will do so in conjunction with the Social Housing Enterprise.
Priorities should be given to young families with children looking for their first home, provincial students, retirees and vulnerable groups for selection. The National Social Protection Council (NSPC) will formulate the criteria and procedures to screen and approve candidates applying for affordable housing. This process should be further enhanced by harmonizing into the
Additionally, the SHEs must carefully manage the constitution of residences in each residential complex to avoid prioritizing one type of user. It is a key lesson learned from previous failures in social housing projects, which focused on one type of user and failed to create social harmony and cohesion.
To facilitate a diverse mix of residents, each building should contain varying apartment configurations and sizes. For instance, dormitories for students, with shared facilities for cooking, learning, etc.
Residential units for young families should have multiple smaller rooms for children, while elderly and people with disability residences are located with dedicated rooms designed for them with accessibility features as the main focus.
The residential building clusters should be built on empty sites between existing buildings, parking lots, service areas and storage lots that are defunct. However, their placement and design must allow for green space in between and not interfere with emergency landings. Moreover, each building should be mixed-use, containing commercial spaces for small stores and fresh markets to support the residents and workers.
On a larger scale, Pochentong can redevelop the existing ground handling facilities into anchor points for commerce, such as fresh markets, weekend markets, small shops, food and beverage stores, and grocery stalls that are operated by locals. This will not only add convenience for local residents but also facilitate nearby residential areas that lost access to a community market after the closure and redevelopment of Centuri Plaza.
In keeping with a walkable neighborhood, education facilities should be established within walking distance of the residential clusters. According to Cambodia’s sub-decree No. 42 for urbanization, kindergartens and primary schools should be available to residents within a 500-meter radius, or roughly within walking distance.
To fulfill this requirement, Pochentong district should include at least three kindergartens and primary schools. Two should be along ASEAN Highway 11, and one more in the former airport helipad, along with a secondary school for the whole district.
This will ensure public school service covers the whole district, all within walking distance. Doing so will also significantly boost access to education for nearby villages like Tham Koul and Kouk Chambak, which currently lack public schooling options.
Lastly, shared public green spaces should surround each building complex, and green corridors will connect to other public facilities, public transit and car parking.
A Vibrant and Liveable District
Affordable residential housing is a crucial component for Pochentong’s redevelopment into a liveable district. The inclusion of affordable residences will drive growth and vibrant activity organically, creating a truly lived-in community rather than just a showpiece development.
It elevates Pochentong Innovative District into more than just a public green space with offices and commercial activities. Instead, it will be a human-centered development with homes and community spaces for families to grow, work, study and enjoy.
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