Congress told to push land use, homebuyer financing bills

LAWMAKERS in the 20th Congress should pass bills seeking to institutionalize a national land use policy and a home-buyer financing program for the poor to address the country's housing woes, according to analysts.

- By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

"We believe this new chapter in national governance presents a vital opportunity to tackle with even greater focus the issue of homelessness which remains one of the country's most urgent and persistent challenges," Noel Toti M. Cariño, national president of the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders' Associations, Inc. (CREBA), said in a Viber message.

The Philippines faces a housing deficit of 6.5 million units, which could rise to 22 million by 2040 if not addressed, according to the United Nations Human Settlements Program.