Belmonte signs housing board ordinance

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. signed yesterday an ordinance creating a Housing Board, a body tasked to lay down policies and programs for the city’s socialized housing projects.

The mayor said the Housing Board, which he would head, is a concrete expression of his administration’s commitment to improve the living conditions of the city’s urban poor.

The mayor was the guest of honor at the ceremonial signing of the ordinance held on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of the city’s Urban Poor Affairs Office.

The ordinance was sponsored by City Councilors Bong Liban, Bernadette Herrera, Ramon Medalla, Eric Medina and Restituto Malangen.

In a speech, the mayor said his administration will resume stalled socialized housing projects in Barangays Manresa, Escopa and Bagong Silangan. He said he is willing to continue the three housing projects, which were initiated by former Quezon City Mayor Brigido Simon Jr.

He directed UPAO chief Ramon Asprer to coordinate efforts with other government agencies in implementing the projects as soon as possible.

"We believe that this will benefit a great number of urban poor families who have long been waiting to have decent homes to call their own," he said. The mayor was joined in the occasion by officials of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC), the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor, city councilors, former mayor Simon, and past officials of the UPAO.

Belmonte led city officials in recognizing 17 community associations which have been religiously paying their monthly dues to the NHMFC and 13 individuals who have completed their housing payments to the corporation under the direct sale scheme.