March 29, 2024

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development-Cordillera wants local government units in the region to partner with the agency in providing decent housing units to deserving families in the region.

DHSUD-Cordillera Director Maria Amoroso said the agency aims to build10,000 housing units this year until 2023 for qualified beneficiaries under the administration’s Abot-kayang Pabahay program.

To do this, the DHSUD needs the participation of the LGUs, which should identify titled lands that are suitable for housing purposes.

The LGUs should enroll the property to the DHSUD’s program and also provide the agency with the list of beneficiaries.

The program aims to provide families living below the poverty line decent and affordable housing through a subsidized payment scheme.

The lands enrolled by the LGUs will undergo assessment to determine if these areas are suitable for housing. The beneficiaries will also undergovalidation.

In the Cordillera, the DHSUD has a housing backlog of more than 129,000 families, which the agency aims to address by the aggressive implementation of the program in line with the administration thrust of solving the 6.5 million housing backlogs across the country.

For Baguio City, the verified housing backlog is 15,000 as of 2021.

The housing units at Luna Terraces in Barangay Irisan is one of the projects enrolled under DHSUD decent and affordable shelter program in Baguio.

The program offers subsidy for beneficiaries who will avail of a housing loan payable in 30 years.

Under the scheme, if a beneficiary avails of a housing loan from a financing institution that imposes a six percent interest rate, beneficiary will only pay one percent as the DHSUD will should five percent.

“For a P1.1 million housing loan, a beneficiary will pay P3,500 monthly for 30 years,” Amoroso said. The Abot-kayang Pabahay program will be launched during the DHSUD-led housing summit in Baguio City on Oct. 18 to 21. – Jane B. Cadalig