Iloilo City Council eyes balanced housing project

THE Iloilo City Council is eyeing a balanced housing project for the benefit of marginalized city residents to be realized from the 20 percent socialized housing share of the host city.

The housing share is from the total subdivision area or development cost of a private subdivision at the option of the developer within the city of Iloilo.

City Councilor Jose Efrain Trenas III, chairman of the committee on urban poor, human rights and minority groups, said a proposed ordinance creating the balanced housing project of Iloilo City was submitted for positive approval of the City Council.

A second committee hearing for stakeholders will be conducted for the proposed ordinance anchored on the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 7279 otherwise known as the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 with the new manner and modes of compliance from the Housing Land Use and Regulatory Board (HLURB).

These modes of compliance include balanced housing development, development of new settlement, slum upgrading, joint venture with either local government units or housing agencies, and participation in Community Mortgage Program (CMP).

The housing law has called owners of subdivisions to provide a share of 20 percent of their subdivision project cost and the ordinance main intention is to require private subdivision and housing developers to expand an area for socialized housing equivalent to at least 20 percent of the area or total project cost. (LCP/Sunnex)