HUDCC to raise minimum standards for socialized housing projects

The Housing and Urban Development and Coordinating Council (HUDCC) is raising the minimum standard requirement for socialized housing projects to make government-initiated settlements more livable.

“In the last four years, the price ceiling for socialized housing is P450,000 for an 18-square meter floor area. Starting this year, we will make it 24 square meters floor area at P480,000,” HUDCC Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario told GMA News Online.

“This will be implemented this month,” the Housing czar said.

The HUDCC will release a resolution on the adjustments for the new socialized housing standards.

Batas Pambansa No. 220 authorizes human settlements agencies to establish and promulgate different levels of standards and technical requirements for economic and socialized housing projects in urban and rural areas.

Increasing the size of socialized housing aims to make government-initiated housing projects more livable, the Cabinet official said.

“We would like to have a livable space, imagine six to eight members of a family living in an 18-sqm floor area. Hindi na po pwede yung 18 sqm kasi hindi natin masasabi na livable ... So the additional floor area will provide more livable space,” Del Rosario noted.

Despite the planned increase in the size and price cap, the interest rate for the socialized housing loans remains at 3 percent per annum.

According to HUDCC, the Philippines is hounded by a 6.5-million housing backlog. —VDS, GMA News