A committee in the House of Representatives on Wednesday adopted a resolution declaring a housing crisis in the country as it called on the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and other government agencies to mobilize resources to provide adequate housing to underserved families.
In a unanimous vote, the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development, chaired by Rep. Francisco Benitez, approved House Substitute Resolution 1458.
The resolution, co-authored and spearheaded by Rep. Florida Robes of the lone district of San Jose Del Monte City, declared a housing crisis, citing the need to construct 6,796,920 housing units by 2022.
The housing industry, according to the resolution, is saddled by the rising urban land prices and regulatory costs.
From July 2016 to June 2020, the resolution stated, the national government and the private sector constructed only 777,879 housing units.
The resolution cited the need to address the housing problem because of the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters and the adverse impact of climate change threaten to displace families living in danger zones.
It also underscored the proliferation of informal settlers in the country as a result of the failure to address the housing problem.
DHSUD data showed there are at least 1,898,993 informal settler families in the country, with 478,899 in the National Capital Region.
The resolution proposed 18 specific measures to address the housing crisis, including calling on the DHSUD to immediately undertake an inventory of idle government lands and to hasten their development and disposition for socialized housing in partnership with the private sector.
The House also likewise called on the Department of Finance and the Philippine Guarantee Corporation to develop a framework for a dynamic housing finance system to encourage private sector participation in the housing market.
Once approved by the body, the House will conduct oversight meetings on the resolution to make sure progress is being made in the housing sector.
“It is incumbent upon Congress to determine the efficient mobilization of government resources in the implementation of housing laws which will contribute to our economic recovery, growth and resilience, and will translate to the benefit of present and future generations,” the resolution stated.