A REAL estate developer has proposed to donate at least 100 transitional housing units to Cebu City to comply with the Balanced Housing Development Act, which mandates the inclusion of socialized housing in property developments.
These units would supplement the 400 transitional housing units the City already plans to construct.
Transitional housing serves as a temporary solution while the City works on building permanent mid-rise residential buildings (MRBs) to address long-term housing needs.
The City Council, during its regular session on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, authorized Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia to sign an agreement with the SM Development Corp. (SMDC) and Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) for the development of 100 transitional housing units.
City Councilor Joel Garganera, who authored the resolution, said in his resolution that the SMDC and CCCI proposed to donate the City the housing units to be constructed on City-owned property as part of their compliance with the or Republic Act (RA) 10884, or the Balanced Housing Development Act for socialized housing development.
An executive session was held on Oct. 10 for the housing proposal.
The City currently has several pending low-cost housing projects for Cebu City residents, particularly for families who will be displaced by its flood mitigation initiative, known as the “Gubat sa Baha” program.
These efforts are being carried out in partnership with private entities.
Proposed MOA
Under the unsigned MOA, the SMDC will finance the project; the CCCI will act as project manager, which will facilitate and enable the design, construction, procurement and installation.
The City, for its part, will identify the site and would provide the lot where the units would be placed.
The draft MOA, however, did not specify the timeline for the project.
Upon completion of the project, a formal turnover ceremony will take place to officially transfer ownership and rights to the City.
The floor plan attached to the resolution shows the transitional housing units in a cube-like three-story building with 34 rooms on a single floor.
A single room already has a kitchen, a toilet, and a shower room.
City-funded transitional housing
The City Government last Aug. 19, presented a model of a 15-square-meter transitional housing that includes two rooms with double-deck beds, a comfort room, a mini sink, and solar panels.
The City Government previously targeted to conduct bidding for its transitional housing project by September this year, said Garcia.
It also considers two options for the transitional housing location, which would be in the South Road Properties.
This project aims to provide homes for displaced families affected by clearing operations to recover the three-meter easement of the City’s major waterways.
Garcia reportedly said the City already has the budget for transitional housing, which the Council approved at P600 million.
He said they are now considering two options for temporary housing within the City. The first option will be at the SRP, and the second will be at Block 27 in the North Reclamation Area.
Garcia previously emphasized that transitional housing, by the term itself, is only temporary since the City Government is also constructing MRBs.
Garcia added that occupants of transitional houses may “graduate” into permanent housing, such as the MRB.
RA 7279, also known as the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992, as amended by RA 10884, aims to uplift the conditions of privileged and homeless citizens in urban areas and resettlement areas by making decent housing at affordable costs, basic services, and employment opportunities available to them. / JPS