The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has turned over more 100 housing units in Rizal to informal settler families (ISFs) living in Intramuros, Manila.

The 100 housing units were the initial of the 470 row houses with loft being targeted by the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC), the key shelter agency of the DHSUD, based on the agreement with the Intramuros Administration amid the housing problems of ISFs in the area.

The housing site is located in Sitio Tukip. Barangay Lagundi, in Morong town.

DHSUD Undersecretary Lyle Pasco, who represented DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar during the turnover of units on Friday, Dec. 9, said the beneficiaries are members of the Intramuros Community Homeowners’ Association, Inc. who have been struggling to build their own homes.

"The DHSUD commits to engage and work for the communities by empowering them to become more constructive and efficient organizations by addressing existing community and social issues and shaping needed programs,” said Pasco.

For his part, SHFC President Federico Laxa urged the beneficiaries to properly maintain the housing units as these will stimulate new beginnings toward achieving more opportunities.

Laxa also disclosed that a livelihood package will be awarded to beneficiaries as one of their income sources.

The DHSUD is pushing to build one million houses every year for the next six years to address the country’s housing backlog pegged at more than 6.5 million units.

Acuzar has been actively engaging housing stakeholders including government financial institutions and private banks and developers to promote the flagship program, the recent positive developments were the commitment of the Pag-IBIG fund to shell out P250 billion and the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission of a measure for private investors to put their money into the housing program.