The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development is now working on a 20-year housing and urban development strategic plan designed to primarily address the country’s housing needs of 6.5 million housing units in 2022.
Secretary Eduardo del Rosario said the national housing strategic plan to provide adequate and affordable housing for the Filipinos is aimed to accelerate the building of high-quality but affordable housing projects in partnership with the private sector.
The initiative would also support the housing and real-estate industry in pump priming the economy, he added.
The proposed roadmap is seen to be implemented in the form of short, medium- and long-term programs and projects, and covers a 20-year period aligned with the Ambisyon Natin 2040.
“Our strategic plan will serve as the blueprint of the government’s long-term program aimed not only in addressing the housing gap with affordable, decent and sustainable communities but more importantly, it sets the standards in human settlements and urban development,” Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario said.
“This roadmap will further boost the Duterte administration’s flagship BALAI (Building Adequate, Livable, Affordable and Inclusive) Filipino Housing Program and institutionalizes effective shelter delivery strategies,” he added.
Earlier, Del Rosario created a technical working group headed by Commissioner Marilyn Pintor and director Mylene Rivera to start engaging with key stakeholders, especially those in the private sector, and formulate the strategic plan.
The housing czar is the first-ever DHSUD chief.
He directed the technical working group to include representatives from the four major developers’ groups in the country to ensure that the roadmap would have inclusive policies, rules and regulations.
He gave the group until October to come up with a strategic plan.