AS the city is working on its current socialized housing projects, eight lots have been offered to the city for more socialized housing projects and are currently undergoing inspection to see if they are fit for the purpose.
City Assessor Maria Addawe, who was tasked by Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong to look for more lots for use in socialized housing in and out of Baguio for its informal settlers, said that the eight lots offered by private entities are now being inspected.
“Due diligence will be done to check if these lots are fit for our intended purpose which is for socialized housing projects,” she said.
Magalong said that the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is assisting with the projects, with Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario committing to further assist with the city’s socialized housing efforts in addition to the ongoing Luna Terraces in Barangay Irisan.
The Luna Terraces in Irisan is being implemented by the National Housing Authority (NHA), and is funded by both the DHSUD and the NHA. The DHSUD gave P155 million for the site development of the Luna Terraces, while the NHA provided a total of P326 million for all of the city’s housing projects, P50 million of which have been downloaded for the Luna Terraces project.
The resettlement project, expected to help 273 informal settler families (ISFs), will be completed alongside the provision of livelihood programs for said families.
Beneficiaries for the project will be selected by the Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Officer (OCSWDO), prioritizing informal settlers or families in danger zones or those displaced by natural or human-induced disasters. But Magalong has said that city government employees renting residences will be allotted slots in future projects.