To break the cycle of homelessness and to ensure that low-income families are removed from danger zones, the Quezon City government has provided an affordable socialized housing program for the poor.
Named after Mayor Herbert Bautista, the Bistekville housing project has been an answered prayer for thousands of low-income, homeless families from the city’s six legislative districts.
“The problem of poverty and informal settlements in Quezon City is huge. But, we can help make this challenge manageable through the pathways of collaboration and teamwork among ourselves,” Bautista said.
From the first housing project in 2011—a 1.5-hectare site in Payatas for informal settlers and public schoolteachers, the city now has 23 medium-rise Bistekville housing projects. At least 17 more projects are in the pipeline within the year.
“Some of these projects are ongoing in various stages of development,” said city administrator Aldrin Cuña.
“It is the vision of Mayor Bautista to give every citizen of Quezon City a chance at a rising quality of life through efficient governance, affordable and secured human settlements,” he added.
Not only did Bautista’s flagship project address the issue of urban development by relocating informal settler-families from danger areas, sidewalks, roadways, waterways, under transmission lines and in water pipelines, Bistekville has also resulted in more livable communities in Quezon City.
The mayor has expressed optimism that the city government can generate more funds to build additional low-cost socialized housing units with the approval of the QC Socialized Housing Tax Ordinance.
“Bistekville is home sweet home,” Bautista said.
Beneficiaries are assured of well-built shelter units in safe locations, mostly in-city and onsite, resulting in no dislocation from their workplaces and current income-earning opportunities as well as no displacement of children from schools.
All the units are subject to monthly amortization, either through loans from the Home Mutual Development Fund, the Socialized Housing Finance Corp.’s community mortgage program or the local government’s financing program.
