HOW should government address the 6.5 million housing backlog in the country?
With no little help from the private sector, that’s for sure, given the national government’s limited resources that should also go infrastructure and vital social services such as education and health needed by a growing population.
Enter, therefore, the private sector, which is now pushing for the passage of key legislative measures that can help sustain economic growth while addressing the country’s housing backlog.
“We are ready to work with our lawmakers toward a future where every Filipino has a place to call home—and where housing becomes the cornerstone of a stronger, more resilient economy,” the group said recently.
The umbrella organization of the real estate and housing sector is the country is urging the government to pass key legislation that would allow the disadvantaged sectors in Philippine society to be able to have homes of their own.
Among these is the amendment of the balanced housing provisions under Republic Act 7279 or Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 to encourage greater private sector participation in the delivery of socialized and economic housing units.
The group is also seeking “fundamental changes” in Republic Act No. 6552 or the Maceda Law to promote equitable consideration of developers and buyers’ welfare in cases of defaulted home purchases.
The private sector is likewise pushing its longstanding advocacy for the passage of the National Land Use Act, which it has long championed, urging legislators to enact the measure to establish a clear, equitable framework for land allocation that safeguards agricultural resources, promotes infrastructure and human settlements, and ensures sustainable growth.
“While the bill has been, time and again, certified as an urgent measure, several versions of the NLUA bills have continued to languish in the legislative mills for close to 30 years for lack of consensus among stakeholders,” the group lamented.
Then there’s what it called the long-overdue enactment of a Comprehensive Home Financing Program, which could expand access to long-term, affordable housing credit for low- and middle-income families.
There’s more. Congress should amend or strengthen existing laws on property registration, taxation, fiscal incentives and rental housing to eliminate bottlenecks and improve efficiency in land development and the delivery of much-needed housing units in support of national government goals.
These measures will help address the “nation’s nagging housing shortfall, streamline property development, and improve the overall investment climate in real estate to more effectively respond to the large-scale goals of the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program.”
The end-goals? Inclusive growth, sustainable development, and access to decent housing for all Filipinos that our legislators should seriously consider in the 20th Congress.
