SHDA cites government compromise on housing rules

Private homebuilders affiliated with the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA) have welcomed the reconsideration by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) of certain provisions of the newly-revised housing standards for socialized and economic housing as a boost to the provision of affordable residential units, particularly for the poor.

Noel S. Gonzales, SHDA national president, in a statement said the HLURB earlier issued the implementing guidelines on the revision of B.P. 220, the Social Housing Act; and of P.D. 957, the Housing and Condominium Buyers’ Protective Decree, which set new development and building standards in the production of socialized and economic housing units.

Citing HLURB approved amendments to the revised implementing rules and regulations of B.P. 220 and of P.D. 957, Gonzales said that among the pertinent portions reconsidered in response to the developers’ clamor, including the following:

• Deletion of the previous requirement for subdivision project owner/developer to register separately as real estate dealers. Their registration as owner/developer is now deemed as registration as dealer at the same time;

• Deletion of the rule on the suspension of the developer’s Certificate of Registration/License to Sell based on the mere filing by a homebuyer of a complaint against said developer.

• Deletion of the previous requirement for tree planting in the subdivision by the developer;

• Instead of outright requiring the services of an environmental planner for the housing subdivision, project architects, who are not yet environmental planners, may in the meantime continue to sign conceptual plans and site development plans of the subdivision projects, for a period of two years from the effectivity of the rules; and

• Deletion of the provision for HLURB to set a maximum price ceiling for housing units under P.D. 957 and B.P 220 projects. Inspected, the Housing and Urban Development Council shall issue the necessary circulars on price ceilings.