Cagayan de Oro Housing Program Strengthen as the Law Seeks

Cagayan de Oro City legislators headed by Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin V. Uy enacted Ordinance No. 13178-2016, amending Ordinance No. 9888-2005 and Ordinance No. 10046-2006, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Socialized Housing Program for the underprivileged and homeless citizens of Cagayan de Oro, known as the Piso-Piso Program.

The ordinance, which provides additional guidelines for the program, cites that the previously socialized housing program failed to accomplish their mandate to provide socialized housing benefits to the targeted beneficiaries.

This is said to be due to the fact that the beneficiaries failed to pay the cost of the house and lot through monthly amortization, whereby the beneficiaries ultimately sold the awarded house and lot and transfer to another area or other areas in order to squat; hence, there is a repeated cycle of the housing problem not only in the city but in all areas where there are displaced settlers.

The ordinance cites data from the City Shelter Plan CY 2014-2022 of Cagayan de Oro, the housing backlog and future housing needs of the population are 79,073 units in 2022 at a population growth rate of 2.69% annually.

Legislators cite the duty of the government to promote social justice and make available decent housing and basic services in urban and resettlement sites.