HOUSING

• "Housing", in the modern concept includes not only the 'physical structure' providing
shelter, but also the immediate surroundings, and the related community services and
facilities.
• It has become part of the concept of "human settlement", which is defined as "all places
in which a group of people reside and pursue their life goals; the site of the settlement
may vary from a single family to millions of people.”
• A WHO Expert Group (1961) on public health aspects of housing prefers to use the term
"residential environment “which is defined as the physical structure that man uses and
the environs of the structure including all necessary services, facilities, equipment and
devices needed or desired for the physical and mental health and the social well-being
of the family and the individual.
Social goals of housing
The generally accepted goals of housing are:
1) Shelter - The house should provide a sanitary shelter, which is a basic need
2) Family life -house should provide adequate space for family life and related activities, viz
preparation and storage of food, meeting, sleeping, individual activities and other basic activities
3) Access to community facilities -A third element of housing is accessibility to community
services and facilities such as health services, schools, shopping areas, places of worship etc.
4) Family participation in community life -Community is important to family in many ways - it
can offer help in times of need; it is an important source of friends. Communities can pool their
efforts and improve their living conditions.
5) Economic stability: Housing is a form of investment of personal savings. It provides for
economic stability and well well-being of the family.
For the implementation of these goals in housing, the government should
1) introduce social housing schemes.
2) establish both minimum and maximum standards.
3) create financial and fiscal institutions geared to helping low-income people obtain credit
for building or improving their houses.
Criteria for Healthful Housing
1. Healthful housing provides physical protection and shelter.
2. Provides adequately for cooking, eating, washing, and excretory functions.
3. is designed, constructed, maintained and used in a manner such as to prevent the
spread of communicable diseases.
4. provides for protection from hazards of exposure to noise and pollution.
5. is free from unsafe physical arrangements due to construction or maintenance, and from
toxic or harmful materials.
6. encourages personal and community development, promotes social relationships,
reflects….
HOUSING STANDARDS
1. SITE-The site should be
a. elevated from its surroundings so that it is not subject to flooding during rains.
b. should have an independent access to a street of adequate width.
c. should be away from the breeding places of mosquitoes and flies.
d. should be away from nuisances such as dust, smoke, smell, excessive noise and
traffic
e. should be in pleasing surroundings
f. the soil should be dry and safe for founding the structure and should be well drained.
"Made-soil", i.e., ground that is levelled by dumping refuse is very unsatisfactory for building
purposes for at least 20 to 25 years. The subsoil water should be below 10 feet (3 metres)
2. SET BACK : For proper lighting and ventilation, there should be an open space all round
the house - this is called "set back".
• In rural areas it is recommended that the built-up area should not exceed one-
third of the total area; in urban areas where land is costly, the built-up area may
be upto two-thirds.
• The set back should be such that there is no obstruction to lighting and
ventilation.
3. FLOOR : The floor should be pucca and satisfy the following criteria
a. it should be impermeable so that it can be easily washed and kept clean and dry.
Mud floors tend to break up and cause dust; they are not recommended.
b. the floor must be smooth and free from cracks and crevices to prevent the breeding
of insects and harbourage of dust
c. the floors should be damp-proof,
d. the height of the plinth should be 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 1 metre)
4. WALLS : The walls should be
a. reasonably strong
b. should have a low heat capacity i.e., should not absorb heat and conduct the same
c. weather resistant
d. unsuitable for harbourage of rats and vermin
e. not easily damaged and
f. smooth. These standards can be attained by 9-inch brick-wall plastered smooth and
coloured cream or white.
5. ROOF : The height of the roof should not be less than 10 feet (3 m) in the absence of
air-conditioning for comfort. The roof should have a low heat transmittance coefficient.
6. ROOMS : The number of living rooms should not be less than two, at least one of which
can be closed for security. The other may be open on one side if that side is a private
courtyard.
7. FLOOR AREA : The floor area of a living room should be at least 120 sq.ft. (12 sq. m.)
for occupancy by more than one person and at least 100 sq.ft. (10 sq. m.) for occupancy
by a single person. The floor area available in living rooms per person should not be less
than 50 sq.ft; the optimum is 100 sq.ft.
8. CUBIC SPACE : Unless means are provided for mechanical replacement of air the
height of rooms should be such as to give an air space of at least 500 c.ft. per capita,
preferably 1,000 c.ft.
9. WINDOWS
a. Unless mechanical ventilation and artificial lighting are provided, every living room
should be provided with at least 2 windows, and at least one of them should open
directly on to an open space,
b. the windows should be placed at a height of not more than 3 feet (1 m) above the
ground in living rooms
c. window area should be 1/5th of the floor area. Doors and windows combined should
have 2/5th the floor area.
10. LIGHTING : The daylight factor should exceed 1 per cent over half the floor area.
11. KITCHEN : Every dwelling house must have a separate kitchen. The kitchen must be
protected against dust and smoke; adequately lighted; provided with arrangements for
storing food, fuel and provisions; provided with water supply; provided with a sink for
washing utensils and fitted with arrangements for proper drainage. The floor of the
kitchen must be impervious.
12. PRIVY : A sanitary privy is a MUST in every house, belonging exclusively to it and
readily accessible. In the more developed areas of the world, the majority of dwelling
units are equipped with water carriage systems.
13. GARBAGE AND REFUSE : These should be removed from the dwelling at least daily
and disposed off in a sanitary manner.
14. BATHING AND WASHING : The house should have facilities for bathing and washing
belonging exclusively to it and providing proper privacy
15. WATER SUPPLY : The house should have a safe and adequate water supply available
at all times.

RURAL HOUSING
The following minimum standards have been suggested
1. there should be at least two living rooms
2. ample verandah space may be provided
3. the built-up area should not exceed one-third of the total area
4. there should be a separate kitchen with a paved sink or platform for washing utensils
5. the house should be provided with a sanitary latrine
6. the window area should be at least 10 per cent of the floor area
7. there should be a sanitary well or a tube well within a quarter of a mile from the house
8. it is insanitary to keep cattle and livestock in dwelling houses. Cattle sheds should be at
least 25 feet away from dwelling houses. A cattle shed should be open on all sides; an
area 8 ft. x 4 ft. is sufficient for each head of cattle
9. there should be adequate arrangement for the disposal of waste water, refuse and
garbage.
HOUSING AND HEALTH
There is a strong relationship between poor housing and the following conditions :
1. RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS -diphtheria, bronchitis, measles, whooping cough, etc.
2. SKIN INFECTIONS : Scabies, ringworm, impetigo, leprosy.
3. RAT INFESTATION : Plague.
 4. ARTHROPODS : Houseflies, mosquitoes, fleas and bugs.
5. ACCIDENTS : A substantial proportion of house accidents are caused by some defect in
the home and its environment.
6. MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY : High morbidity and mortality rates are observed where
housing conditions are sub-standard.
7. PSYCHOSOCIAL EFFECTS : These effects must not be overlooked. The sense of
isolation felt by persons living in the upper floors of high buildings is now well known to
have harmful effects. Often, also, people living in densely populated urban areas feel a
similar sense of isolation which may lead to neurosis and behaviour disorders.
OVERCROWDING

• Overcrowding refers to the situation in which more people are living within a single
dwelling than there is space for, so that movement is restricted, privacy secluded,
hygiene impossible, rest and sleep difficult.
• Infectious diseases spread rapidly under conditions of overcrowding.
• The effects on psychosocial health are not so clear-cut, viz. irritability, frustration,
lack of sleep, anxiety, violence and mental disorders.
CONTD
PERSON PER ROOM
1 ROOM 2 PERSON
2 ROOMS 3 PERSON
3 ROOMS 5
4 ROOMS 7
5 OR MORE ROOMS 10 PERSONG (ADDITIONAL 2 FOR EACH
FURTHER ROOM)

FLOOR SPACE: The accepted standards are

110 sq.ft. (11 sq. m.) or more 2 persons
90-100 sq.ft. (9-10 sq. m.) 1and1/2 persons
70-90 sq.ft. (7-9 sq. m.) 1 person
50- 70 sq.ft. (5-7 sq. m.) 1/ 2 person
Under 50 sq.ft (5 sq. m.) - Nil (0)
(A baby .under 12 months is not counted; childrenn between 1 to 10 years counted as half a
unit).

SEX SEPARATION : Overcrowding is considered to exist if 2 persons over 9 years of age, not
husband and wife, of opposite sexes are obliged to sleep in the same room.
INDICATOR OF HOUSING
The indicators for housing may be classified as :
1. Physical-floor space, cubic space,room height, persons per room, rooms per
dwelling,environmental quality (e.g., air, light, water, noise, sewage disposal, etc).
2. Economic indicators : .These are cost of the building, rental levels, taxes, expenditure
on housing, etc.
 3. Social indicators-These were proposed at an
• inter-regional seminar on the Social Aspects of Housing,
• organized by the UN in 1975.
A. Indicators related to prevention of illness :
1. Frequency of illness due to inadequate sewage and garbage collection.
2. Frequency of illness associated with contaminated water source.
3. Frequency of insect borne diseases
4. Frequency of illness due to overcrowding.
5. Frequency of illness due to accidents.
6. Frequency of illness due to proximity to animals.
7. Access to medical facility.

B. Indicators related to comfort :

1. Thermal comfort
2. Acoustic comfort
3. Visual comfort
4. Spatial comfort
C. Indicators related to mental health and social well-being
1. Frequency of suicides in the neighbourhood
2. Neglected and abandoned youth in theneighbourhood
3. Drug abuse (including alcohol) in the neighbourhood

National Housing Authority (NHA)

HISTORY

• The National Housing Authority (NHA) is the sole national agency mandated to engage
in housing production for low income families. It traces its roots to the People’s Homesite
Corporation (PHC),
• first government housing agency established on 14 October 1938 and to the National
Housing Commission (NHC) which was created seven years later, on 17 September
1945.
• two agencies, the PHC and NHC, were eventually merged on 4 October 1947 into the
People’s Homesite and Housing Corporation (PHHC).
• In the years that followed, six (6) more housing agencies were created to respond to
separate and distinct shelter requirements, namely
1. Presidential Assistant on Housing and Resettlement Agency (PAHRA)
2. Tondo Foreshore Development Authority (TFDA)
3. Central Institute for the Training and Relocation of Urban Squatters (CITRUS)
4. Presidential Committee for Housing and Urban Resettlement (PRECHUR)
5. Sapang Palay Development Committee (SPDC)
6. Inter-Agency task Force to Undertake the Relocation of Families in Barrio
Nabacaan, Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.
• On 15 October 1975, the National Housing Authority was organized as a government-
owned and controlled corporation, by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 757 dated 31 July
1975.
• All other housing agencies were abolished by the said decree.
• The creation of the NHA is the second attempt of the government to integrate all housing
efforts under a single agency, twenty-eight years after the merger under the PHHC.
• Three years later, the Ministry of Human Settlements (MHS) was created in 1978. The
Ministry adopted the holistic approach to housing. the NHA was placed as an attached
agency to the MHS.
• On 26 March 1986, Executive Order No. 10 was issued placing the NHA as well as the
other agencies attached to the abolished MSH, under the administrative supervision of
the office of the President.
• Executive Order No. 90 was issued on 17 December 1986, rationalizing the housing
structure in the government along lines of specialization and concentration. EO 90
identified the key housing agencies to implement the National Shelter Program and
defined their respective mandates.
• Executive Order No. 20 on 28 May 2001 reaffirmed mass housing as a centerpiece
program in the poverty alleviation efforts of government.
• On 14 February 2019, Republic Act (RA) 11201 was issued creating the Department of
Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD), under section 50 of said law,
Executive Order (EO) 90 was released placing NHA and other attached agencies and
corporation under the administrative supervision for purposes of policy and program
coordination, monitoring and evaluation.
PROGRAMS
HOUSING PROGRAM FOR ISFS LIVING ALONG DANGER AREAS IN METRO MANILA

• Implemented to address the requirements of families living along danger areas. It entails
the provision of housing units, community facilities, socio-economic and other community
support programs. The program involves the implementation of in-city, near-city, and off-
city resettlement projects.

RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM FOR ISFS AFFECTED BY THE SUPREME COURT’S

MANDAMUS TO CLEAN-UP THE MANILA BAY AREA

• Implemented in 2018 in response to a Supreme Court issuance of a writ of Continuing

Mandamus ordering relevant Government Agencies and Local Government units to clean
up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay and make its water fit for swimming and other
forms of recreation.
• The Mandamus encompasses the tributaries leading into the Bay. Agencies and LGUs
were instructed to dismantle structures encroaching upon these waters, necessitating the
eviction and resettlement of thousands of ISFs living along the 3-meter easement of rivers
and esteros.

RESETTLEMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO LGUS (RAP-LGU)

• Program pursuant to NHA’s mandate under Republic Act No. 7279 or the Urban
Development and Housing Act of 1992 to provide financial and technical assistance
to Local Government Units in the implementation of their urban development and
housing programs and in line with NHA’s role as enabler and facilitator in the housing
delivery process.

HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (HAPIP)

• Program pursuant to Republic Act 8731 or the Indigenous Peoples Right Act of 1997
to provide financial and technical assistance to Indigenous Peoples in coordination
with the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples and LGUs.
• Development of housing sites in the Indigenous Peoples’ (IPs) own ancestral domain or
lands owned by LGU that is acceptable to the concerned IPs
• The program follows the framework of RAP-LGU

HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (HAPIP-STUDENT

DORMITORIES)

• Program to provide dormitories to IP Students studying in State Universities and

Colleges. This will allow IP students to gain better access to academic institutions around
the country. It presents a safe and supportive residential environment fostering a sense of
community that enhances the academic experience for IP students.
• Development of dormitories in the Indigenous Peoples’ (IPs) own ancestral domain or
lands owned by LGU/SUC that is acceptable to the concerned Ips

RESETTLEMENT ASSISTANCE FOR FORMER REBELS

• On April 3, 2018, President Duterte signed AO No. 10, “Centralizing all Government Efforts
for the Reintegration of Former Rebels and Creating for the Purpose an IATF.” As a result
of the AO, an Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) was
launched to provide assistance for former rebels who expressed desire to abandon armed
struggle. To complement with the AO and E-CLIP, NHA established a comprehensive
program that will provide a framework for the provision of housing assistance to
former rebels.

COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL BENEFITS PROGRAM (CSBP) FOR KIA/WIA AND

KIPO/WIPO

• Executive Order No. 110 s. 2020, “Institutionalizing the Comprehensive Social Benefits
Program,” institutionalized the program as a mechanism to rationalized social benefits and
assistance to qualified uniform personnel.
• Pursuant to the EO, NHA Memorandum Circular No. 2020-049 was issued to provide the
guidelines and procedures for housing assistance for the beneficiaries of AFP and
PNP personnel who were killed or wounded during military and police operations.

GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES HOUSING PROGRAM

• Government Employees Housing Program (GEHP) was formulated in line with Section
No. 2 of AO No. 9 s. 2011, “the NHA was directed to formulate, manage, and lead the
implementation of Revitalized Government Employees and AFP/PNP Housing Program.”
• Due to the clamor of other government employees and the previous experience in the old
AFP/PNP program of the military and police personnel, NHA enhanced the housing units
of the uniformed personnel and government employees.

SETTLEMENTS UPGRADING (SU)

• Intended to address security of tenure and infrastructure requirements of informal

settlements on government-owned land proclaimed or designated as socialized housing
sites
• Covers survey and titling of individual lots for disposition to qualified occupants,
infrastructure development, housing construction, and rehabilitation of existing project
sites

MARAWI REHABILITATION

• On June 28, 2017, Administrative Order No. 3 was issued creating Task Force Bangon
Marawi (TFBM). It is composed of various government agencies working together towards
the recovery, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of the conflict-stricken city. As part of the
TFBM Sub-committee on Housing, the NHA is in charge of the Marawi master
development plan, debris management, road infrastructures, and the construction
of permanent and transitory shelters, the Sarimanok Sports Stadium, and the
Marawi Convention Center.

HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR CALAMITY VICTIMS (HAPCV)

The program is intended to respond to the housing need of low and marginal-income and/or
informal settler families for permanent shelter affected by calamities such as typhoons,
landslides, earthquakes, and fires for relocation to safe areas.

• Typhoon Yolanda – Implemented to respond to the housing need of low and marginal-
income and/or informal settler families affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda which made
landfall in the Visayas Region on November 8, 2013.
• Typhoon Nina – Implemented in 2020 to respond to the housing need of low and marginal
–income and/or informal settler families affected by Typhoon Nina last December 2016
which heavily affected Region 5.
• Typhoon Usman – Implemented in 2020 to respond to the housing need of low and
marginal –income and/or informal settler families affected by Typhoon Usman last
December 2018 in the provinces of Albay and Camarines Sur.
• Typhoon Odette – To be implemented in response to the housing need of low and
marginal –income and/or informal settler families affected by Typhoon Odette last
December 2021 in Region 13, Region 10, Region 8, Region 7, Region 6, and MIMAROPA.
• Build Back Better – On November 18, 2020, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte issued
Executive Order no. 120 to strengthen rehabilitation and recovery efforts in typhoon-hit
areas through the creation of the Build Back Better Task Force. The initial focus of the
task force will be in addressing the housing need of areas hit by Typhoon Quinta and
Typhoon Rolly last October 2020, and by Typhoon Ulysses last November 2020.
• Mindanao Earthquake – Implemented in 2020 to respond to the housing need of low and
marginal-income and/or informal settler families affected by the series of earthquakes that
struck Mindanao on October 2019 (North Cotabato) and December 2019 (Davao del Sur).
• Naga, Cebu Landslide – Implemented to respond to the housing need of low and
marginal –income and/or informal settler families affected by the landslide in Brgy. Tinaan,
Naga, Cebu last September 20, 2018.
• Taal Volcano Eruption – Implemented to respond to the housing need of low and
marginal –income and/or informal settler families affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano
last January 2020.

EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EHAP)

• Previously the Housing Materials Assistance Program (HOMA), the EHAP was introduced
based on the need to simplify requirements, provide flexibility in the implementation
of the program and to enable a faster and quicker response to identified families
whose houses are totally or partially damaged by disasters, both natural or man-made.
• Assistance is either in the form of cash or housing construction materials, in case of scarce
supply of housing materials during large-scale disasters.