Housing sector tops SONA targets

The housing sector has surpassed its overall target of providing 300,000 families with housing rights, according to the latest report released by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

HUDCC chairman Mike Defensor said 338,858 families were given secure tenure as of end-June this year, exceeding the SONA target by 113 percent.

"While we are glad we passed with flying colors, we have to strive harder to raise the bar of our performance in the next SONA," Defensor said.

The target of 300,000 is broken down into – 150,000 land tenure for the urban poor; 70,000 socialized housing for the poorest of the poor (Higit na Maralita); and 80,000 low-cost housing for low-salaried workers of the private and public sectors.

"The provision of tenurial security to 183,026 urban poor families was largely achieved through our asset reform program, which involves declaring idle government lands for housing purposes, along with the Community Mortgage Program (CMP) and the National Government Center (NGC) projects."

More than 80,000 poorest of the poor families have benefited from the various socialized housing programs of the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Pag-IBIG Fund such as slum upgrading, sites and services, land tenurial assistance program, community land acquisition support program, grants in aid for housing, and housing material assistance.

Meanwhile, Defensor said 72,375 households representing 90 percent of the targeted 80,000 low-salaried workers, have availed of the home lending programs of Pag-IBIG Fund, GSIS, SSS, and DBP.

Another SONA-related accomplishment of the housing sector includes the publication and implementation of Executive Order 45 – the law that waged the mother-of-all wars against red tape in housing. The EO prescribes time standards in the processing of housing permits and related documents and imposes sanctions to agencies found not complying with it.

The DA, DAR, DENR, DILG, and Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), agencies involved in the issuance of housing permits, have all come out with their respective complying orders to EO 45.

Defensor expressed optimism that the sector will continue to be bullish as may be gleaned from the licenses to sell issued by the HLURB, an indication of the housing units made available to the public. From 2001 to June 2002, issued LTS has reached 2,819 translating to 156,252 housing units.