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Developers on Monday called on the government to reconcile the differences between national and local laws causing delays in socialized housing projects across the country.
"We want to provide more support for government, especially the national programs to disperse the socialized housing, but there are some conflicts with local ordinances," Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA) President Christopher Narciso said in a briefing in Makati City.
Under the Urban Development and Housing Act or Republic Act 7279, socialized housing consists of programs for the underprivileged and homeless citizens.
This includes sites and services development, long-term financing, and liberalized terms on interest payments.
National laws allow socialized housing projects anywhere feasible in the country, but local governments have implemented laws to ban such developments.
"[T]here are some provinces where it's ideal to come up with socialized, because it's a more affordable land, pero may mga ibang cities and municipalities that will come up with ordinances that say 'we ban socialized housing in our places'," Narciso noted.
"And then there are some cities naman where it's not suitable to provide socialized housing given the assessment value of the land already, and then they will insist that 'the socialized housing unit be done in our city'," he added.
Such issues contributed to increasing the housing backlog to 6.7 million, according to the latest data available two years ago.
"Housing backlog as of 2015 is already at 6.7 million, and this includes the 800 plus thousand who cannot afford even the cheapest socialized housing unit," he said.
"We need to get the cooperation of all parties," he added.
Current guidelines require developers to set aside at least 20 percent of projects for socialized housing.
Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) Commissioner Lloyd Christopher A. Lao said he was in talks with local government units on the matter.
"Everybody wants to comply, based on their own terms," he said separately.
"My job is to talk to like governors, mayors. 'What do you want and how can I help? How can I bring developers here so that they can comply and you will be satisfied?'" he added.
Addressing the conflict between local and national laws could take some time, Lao noted.
"Passing a legislation to centralize everything takes time. The best way is to discuss," he said.
"We don't need a law, but we need consensus between the developers, the local government units or the mayors and governors, as well as HLURB," he added. — VDS, GMA News