THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City Government of Bacolod City today for the housing projects intended for informal settlers families (ISF).
Councilor Vladimir Gonzalez, chairperson of the city council committee on urban poor, housing and resettlement, said yesterday the activity will be held at the Bacolod Government Center lobby with the officials of DHSUD and National Housing Authority (NHA) along with other city officials led by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.
After the MOU, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) will follow that includes the identification of the locations, site development plan and the lists of the beneficiaries of said projects.
Under the agreement, the housing projects will be constructed at the Relocation Site in Barangay Vista Alegre, Barangay 8, and Barangay Banago.
Gonzalez noted that the beneficiaries of these projects will be identified by the Bacolod Housing Authority (BHA) especially, those living in the danger zone.
He said the city will identify the first 10,000 beneficiaries from the various barangays for the first year.
“The BHA has already detailed some of the beneficiaries especially, those who were affected by the writ of demolition,” the councilor noted.
As to those families who had been awarded already of the city’s relocation site, but failed to occupy the area, Gonzales said they are no longer qualified for the housing projects
The groundbreaking will be this month, Gonzalez disclosed while the construction of the building will be in the first quarter of 2023.
He said these projects will be funded by the national government through the Pag-ibig Fund while the city government will provide the location and to manage the building once it will be turned over to the city.
Gonzales also clarified that the beneficiaries of the medium rise building will also pay their monthly dues, and they will also find an alternative for those who cannot afford to pay the monthly dues.
“It’s not for free... Even at the previous relocation sites, the beneficiaries should have to pay the cost recovery,” he said.
Gonzalez disclosed that it’s one of the priorities of the Benitez’s administration to address the informal settlers in the city. (MAP)