More than 2,000 people have lived in limbo for nearly half a century because of a planned "park" in Hanoi's Hai Ba Trung District that never happened.

Their homes are crumbling and they cannot get permits to repair them, or ownership certificates to sell them, or even apply for compensation, because of the Tuoi Tre park project, approved in 1979, has yet to start.

Some 600 households in Residential Area 4 in Thanh Nhan Ward, which falls under the park plan, are trapped.

"We are not allowed to upgrade or add more storeys to our home," said one affected resident, Dinh Xuan Te. He cannot get a land use right certificate, which means he can't access bank loans to do business or other services.

Another resident, Nguyen Huu Can, said, "We’ve sent many petitions to call for help from local authorities, but they said that the project still lacked detailed planning for the construction and they also had to wait for further directions fom the upper levels.”

Trieu Nhu Long, vice chairman of the ward’s People’s Committee said, “While waiting for the park to be built, we’ve proposed that the municipal government grant land use right certificates for these households and allow them to upgrade their aging houses so that they can have a better living condition.”

Residents are angry that some land already appropriated for the planned park is now being used for open restaurants, offices, tennis courts and supermarkets, while they are left to cope as best they can.

"We now just want local authorities to take our land out of the park's plan so that we can settle our lives better," Can said.