Based on preliminary figures obtained by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), Robredo said the housing backlog currently stands at 5.7 million.
To wipe out this backlog, Robredo said the government, together with the private sector, must build 2,602 homes per day in the next six years.
“Let me state the obvious. The problem we are faced with is urgent, huge and difficult. The housing crisis is a ticking time bomb. The only way we can solve it is together,” Robredo said in a speech at the Housing Solutions Congress held in Pasay City.
The initial estimate of the housing backlog, Robredo said, includes some 2.2 million informal-settler families (ISFs). This is higher than the 1.5 million estimated by the National Housing Authority in 2011.
Apart from tax breaks for private companies, Robredo also plans to impose “stiffer penalties for squatting syndicates.”
She said this will contribute to efforts in relocating ISFs. Robredo noted that many ISFs prefer to go back to being squatters because livelihood opportunities are scarce in relocation areas.
The HUDCC intends to focus on on-site in-city relocations to address the problem of squatting and deter people from resorting to it all their lives, according to the Vice President.
Under Republic Act 7279, or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992, professional squatters or members of squatting syndicates face jail time or a fine.
Violators face a penalty of six years imprisonment or not less than P60,000, but not more than P100,000, or both, at the discretion of the court.
“We will not relocate families if the homes waiting for them are not total solutions to shelter needs. That means there will be no demolitions. You may also be interested in our plan to aim for stiffer penalties to squatting syndicates,” Robredo said.
“Together, we will build a strong nation through happier homes,” she added.
These efforts are part of Robredo’s plan to pursue a comprehensive and integrated approach to solving the housing crisis.
She again stressed the need for “sufficient information” to jump-start a housing program that will benefit millions of homeless Filipinos.
Even the 5.7 million housing backlog, she said, needs to be re-calculated based on updated data.
The estimate is only based on data gathered by the HUDCC in 2015 from local-shelter plans of local government units.
Once the numbers are established, only then can the government identify a suitable housing program model that will meet the needs of homeless Filipinos, according to Robredo.
“We need an inventory of all government properties available for housing.
We will need the cooperation of all local government units for this,” she said.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes