Mass Housing

Mass housing/Public Housing/Social Housing A study on the special effects of housing Severino Corpuz Manila’s housing problem dates back to pre-war days Immediate solution to this problem was effected after WWII where people found themselves homeless and destitute Reconstruction (after the war) could not keep pace with the influx of urban migrants Goal: to provide them with decent, lowcost housing facilities Oct. 14, 1938 – the People’s Homesite Corp. was established with the following sites as first projects: *Vista Tenement House, Herbosa St., Tondo, Manila *Barrio Obrero, Kamuning, QC Problem: The tenants sold their house for profit National Housing Commission- established through Commonwealth Act No.648 on June 16, 1941 Objectives: *acquisition, development, improvement, construction, leasing and selling of lands and dwellings *promotion of the physical, social, and economic betterment by eliminating slums which are unhygienic or unsanitary People’s Homesite and Housing Corporation (PHHC) – established in 1946 1947-a factory for the manufacture of hollow blocks was constructed in QC 1948-Gen. Roxas District-southwestern tip of the Diliman Estate (Sta. Mesa Estate and Magdalena Estate) -PHHC’s first project site An applicant must be: A Filipino Laborer/government employee whose income does not exceed Php215/month Communists and those connected with insurgents were disqualified Houses-are ideally located, provided with ample space between them and large

enough to accommodate comfortably their occupants, all of which contribute, to a large measure, to the rare occurrence of disease -sturdier, less expensive to maintain -residents find time to organize societies and community clubs -some families’ monthly income exceed the amount stipulated in the lease contract Tenants-neither allowed to sublease nor make alterations, additions, or new constructions without the consent of the corporation. Human settelements: The Vision of a New Society Task Force on Human Settlements Development Academy of the Philippines Human settlement-central to this approach is the goal of human welfare, or a quality of life consistent with the dignity of man. 3 key areas: Environment-covers the management of life support systems Habitat-the provision and design of all kinds of shelter including transportation, communication and infrastructure requirements. Well-being-includes the provisions of opportunities and facilities for recreation, leisure, and art & cultural development. 8 Propositions 1. Resources must be allocated on the basis of both efficiency and equity 2. Judicious resource allocation must improve the quality of life. 4 types: environmental, human, fiscal and technological 3. Development must be guided by a land policy 4. Development and Environment can coexist 5. Urban development should be pursued within the context of regional goals 6. Geographic mobility can be utilized to ease congestion in central urban cities 7. An administrative structure must be organized to systematize the physical planning process and achieve efficiency 8. Policies on human settlements are consistent with national goals

Friedman, Lawrence.(1968).Government and Slum Housing: A Century of Frustration. Rand McNally & Company, USA Housing projects destroyed slum communities and created new slums of rootless, malintegrated people who turned to delinquency and crime for some sense of belonging. Angeles, Edna. (September 1985). Public Policy and the Philippine Housing Market. Quezon City: Philippine Institute for Development Studies. Theoretical Arguments for government intervention in housing: 1. Merit Goods. If the good or service is obviously in the public interest or extremely expensive but whose costs are impossible to allocate to specific beneficiaries then it is generally provided by the government. 2. Goods Distributed Unequally. When goods and services are distributed in a way contrary to set social objectives, government intervention is always looked upon as a corrective mechanism. 3. Large Projects and Economies of scale. Land assembly for largescale, comprehensive redevelopment programs & experiments involving building technology and other types of housing projects considered risky which normally may not attract private (sector) investment. 4. Market Imperfections. The organization and structure of the housing and mortgage markets which almost always deny the poor of access to financing. Pynoos, Jon. (1986). Breaking the rules: bureaucracy and reform in public housing. New York: Plenum Press. Positive attributes for the privatization of housing: 1. Divestiture may be a means for tenants to exercise more control over their residential settings or to escape their roles as renters and enter the world of home ownership.

2.

It may reduce the oppressiveness of large bureaucracies and better control fiscal expenditures. Smaller suburban projects-most attractive for privatization Reeves, Paul. (1996). An Introduction to Social Housing. UK: Arnold. Social housing - used to describe any accommodation which is provided for those who cannot compete in the marketplace to provide their own roof. Welfare housing (US) – denotes accommodation provided by welfare agencies n the basis of poverty rather than any other defining characteristic of housing need. Social housing (UK) – relatively lowcost housing where the occupant should easily be able to afford, whether supported by state benefits wholly or partially or not at all.