The proposed Php 5.088-billion budget of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development for 2027 is expected to support government programs on affordable housing, subsidized financing and shelter assistance, Iloilo City Rep. Julienne Baronda said.
Baronda, vice chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, defended the proposed budget of the DHSUD and its attached agencies during plenary deliberations on Wednesday.
These agencies include the National Housing Authority, Social Housing Finance Corp. and National Home Mortgage Finance Corp.
Baronda acknowledged continuing gaps in the country’s housing sector but said DHSUD, under Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling, is working with other government agencies and Congress to address them.
She said housing agencies aim to reduce the national housing need from 3.77 million units to 1.13 million by 2028 through direct and indirect housing programs.
The government’s housing strategy includes vertical and horizontal developments, rental housing, community mortgage programs, incremental housing, high-density housing, temporary shelters and other beneficiary-focused options.
Baronda said the approach is intended to recognize that different communities require different housing solutions.
In Iloilo City, she is also pursuing a housing project with the NHA in Barangay Tabuc Suba, Jaro.
The Iloilo City People’s Residences, intended for teachers and informal-sector workers affected by infrastructure projects, is now more than 80 percent complete.
