IN THE KNOW

The Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) has been tasked by Batas Pambansa Blg. 220 to set the minimum requirements for socialized housing units, and the technical design and standards to see to it that the units are affordable, livable and technically of sound structure.

HLURB Board Resolution No. 974 last August sets the minimum size floor size for a condominium to be 22 sqm.

On the other hand, Resolution No. 973 sets the standards for single detached, duplex/single attached and row houseses. The resolution adjusted the minimum gross floor area of a single detached, duplex or row house at 32 sqm.

A unit with a loft should have a minimum gross floor area of 28 sqm. The loft, defined as “a partial, intermediate floor in a one -storey or room of a residential unit of a subdivision” should be at least 50 percent of the base structure and should have a clear ceiling height of not less than 1.8 meters above and below it.

A two-storey structure should have a minimum gross floor area of 32 sqm. It should be at least a 16 sqm per floor structure with a dimension of 4 meters by 4 meters.

The resolution also prescribed the ceiling height for a habitable room:  a minimum headline clearance of 2 meters from the finished line to the ceiling line.

Sources: HLURB, Bella Vita website

Definition

Socialized housing refers to housing programs and projects covering houses and lots or lots undertaken by the government or private sector for underprivileged and homeless citizens.

The programs include sites and services development, long-term financing, and liberalized terms on interest payments.

Underprivileged and homeless citizens refer to the beneficiaries or individuals or families in urban and urbanize areas who do not own housing facilities, and whose income or combined household incomes fall within the poverty threshold defined by the government.

For a family of five, the monthly poverty threshold was P9,064 in 2015, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Eligible socialized housing program beneficiaries

-Filipino citizen

-Underprivileged and homeless citizen

-Must not own any real property whether in the urban or rural areas

-Must not be a professional squatter or a member of squatting syndicates

Price ceiling and floor area

For socialized subdivision projects, single detached housing, duplex and single attached housing and row houses have a price ceiling ranging from P480,000 to P580,000 and gross floor area ranging from 22 sqm to 32 sqm.

The price ceiling for socialized condominium projects ranges from P600,000 to P750,000, depending on the size and location.

For the National Capital Region, San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan Province, Cainta and Antipolo City in Rizal Province; San Pedro City in Laguna, Carmona and the Cities of Imus and Bacoor in Cavite Province, the ceiling is P700,000 for 22 sqm and P750,000 for 24 sqm

For other areas, the ceiling is P 600,000 for 22 sqm and P 650,000 for 24 sqm

Sources: Republic Act No. 727, hlurb.gov.ph, hudcc.gov.ph, Bella Vita website