The mayor gave the certificate of titles and the key to the newly constructed units to the beneficiaries.
In his brief speech before the awarding rites, Belmonte stressed the need for the recipients to unite, adopt cleanliness as a way of life, and observe discipline at all times in the neighborhood.
He also cited the need for them to band together and form an association and elect their officers who will be tasked to police their own ranks.
The new homeowners had chosen as their interim president Dante Blanco, a UST accounting professor, who thanked Belmonte in behalf of the group "for making their long-time dream of owning a decent home a reality."
Belmonte said the HURA Homes I project has been successful.
The construction of the condo-type medium-rise building on a mere 1,000 square-meter property along P. Burgos St. in Barangay Escopa III, was a result of a long negotiation conducted by the city government, through its housing Urban Renewal Authority (HURA), with the owners of the land, in cooperation with Pag-Ibig.
Belmonte created the HURA two years ago to provide low-cost housing to the city’s low-income families and informal settlers, as well as City Hall employees. The city government-owned corporation is headed by former Budget Secretary Salvador Enriquez.
The medium-rise building can accommodate 80 families. But the other 22 beneficiaries have yet to comply with requirements like the documentation and payments needed before they could move in to their units.
The selling price of each dwelling unit, with a floor area of 15 square meters, ranges from P161,969 for the upper floors to P225,000 for the lower floors. Each unit is furnished with adequate water supply, electrical connection, concrete roof deck, an emergency fire alarm system and a lanscaped open space.