Housing In Focus

Compiled by Inquirer Research

Housing backlog in the country reached 1.034 million in 2018, most of which are for the improvement of “unacceptable” housing projects such as informal settlements and dilapidated units, according to the 2018 socioeconomic report of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

The 2018 figure is just 15.7 percent of the projected total housing need of 6.57 million from 2017 to 2022 based on the study conducted by the Philippine Statistical Research Institute.

Government data showed that it provided 109,391 housing units from January to September last year, almost half of the 2018 target of 251,342 units or 24 percent of housing needs.

The National Housing Authority cited insufficient manpower, bureaucratic red tape, right-of-way issues and limited budget as factors for its poor performance in 2018, the report said.

Another challenge that the housing sector needs to address, according to the report, are gaps in housing data. The lack of a centralized database of government housing beneficiaries have caused delays or errors in the awarding of units.