Joint reso allows NHA to award unoccupied houses to teachers, informal settlers  

The head of the Housing and Urban Development committee at the House of Representatives has filed a joint resolution authorizing the National Housing Authority (NHA) to award unoccupied housing units to other qualified beneficiaries.

Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez filed the resolution on April 6 following the forced occupation of urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) of more than 5,000 housing units built by the NHA in Pandi, Bulacan.

House Joint Resolution No. 11 specifically allows the NHA to award housing units that are unoccupied by personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

Benitez said the unoccupied units may instead be given to public school teachers, local government employees, and informal settlers.

The General Appropriations Act enacted in 2013 and 2014 appropriated P5.6 billion and P5.458 billion respectively for the AFP/PNP/BFP/BJMP/BuCor housing program, according to Benitez.

A 2015 Commission on Audit (COA) report, however, said the occupancy rate of completed housing units is at 8.09 percent only.

“The same COA report also stated that the non-use by the intended beneficiaries of the housing units under the AFP/PNP housing project resulted to loss of revenues on the part of the government, unnecessary exposure of the units to unfavorable weather condition and non-attainment of the objectives of the program,” Benitez said.

“The NHA may instead identify alternative beneficiaries and beneficiary-specific sites such as in the case of public school teachers living within the area, employees in the local government concerned where the housing units are constructed, barangay employees and functionaries and informal settlers who could all benefit from the unoccupied housing units,” he added.

NHA General Manager Marcelino Escalada Jr. told the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement on Tuesday that there are more than 55,000 unoccupied homes intended for the military and police.

He sought Congress’ help in re-awarding the housing units by giving the NHA legislative authority.

He also gave a deadline to military and police personnel to occupy their awarded homes by June 15 of this year, otherwise they will give the houses to other beneficiaries as announced by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Earlier this month, Duterte ordered soldiers to let the members of Kadamay have the housing units they occupied in Bulacan. He then promised to provide a better housing project for soldiers and policemen.

According to Escalada, five of the total seven socialized housing sites in Bulacan are intended for informal settlers in Metro Manila, while the other two are for the personnel of the AFP and PNP with the lowest three ranks. —KBK, GMA News