According to MANILA BULLETIN, government will subsidize house rental expenditures of informal settler families (ISFs) under a bill approved on second reading by the House of Representatives on March 17.
House Bill 8736 is among the more popular bills in the chamber that was swiftly passed by congressmen.
HB 8736 or the Rental Housing Subsidy Program Act seeks to protect urban poor families from dislocation and eviction due to demolition arising from government projects.
Also, to be benefitted are ISF’s who lose their homes due to natural and man-made disasters.
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Under the bill, government will extend to eligible ISFs a flat rental subsidy of P3,500 for those living in Metro Manila.
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the National Economic Development Authority are tasked to determine the rate of subsidy for ISFs living in other regions.
MANILA BULLETIN says, to determine the allowable rate, the two agencies will take into consideration the prevailing minimum wage and rental rates per region. However, proposed subsidy will not exceed P3,500.
Qualified beneficiaries are barred from moving back to where they originally lived without the permission of proper government authorities.
They will pay for the portion of the rental fee not covered by the subsidy.
The bill also provides that beneficiaries with good payment standing shall be prioritized as recipients of benefits provided under government housing programs.
According to Vargas the bill serves as a “housing and social protection program” that will enable ISFs access the formal housing market.”
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