Negros Occidental third district Rep. Alfredo Benitez yesterday confirmed the House of Representatives approved a bill he sponsored creating a Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (HSUD).

Benitez said HSDU will address the problem of housing and urbanization, adding, “Every Filipino desires a decent home, but most cannot afford it.”

He pointed out, through HSUD, the government will guarantee an affordable, safe, and decent home for every Filipino.

Benitez said HSUD will serve as the lead agency in developing public land and converting it into low-cost housing, as well as using land to complement the development of the country’s urban areas.

Meanwhile, Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito said the country’s housing backlog of two million could surge to 6.57 million by the end of 2022 as natural disasters continued to ravage the countryside, leaving hundreds of families homeless each year.

Ejercito authored Senate Bill No. 1578, similar to the HSUD bill, which consolidates the administrative functions of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the planning and regulatory functions of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board./DGB, WDJ