The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) offers affordable housing and assists individuals and families who suffer damage to their homes due to natural or man-made calamities.

At the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas Forum at the Philippine Information Agency on Tuesday, Mary Lyn Bosogon, DHSUD-NCR projects development officer, said there is an emergency shelter assistance that an individual or families can avail of.

“This is a one-time financial assistance that previously amounted to P15,000, but the good news is it has been amended and increased to P30,000. Additionally, there is assistance for partially damaged houses of P10,000,” Bosogon said.

She said local government officials must write to the DHSUD to seek assistance for their constituents affected by natural hazards, calamities and even man-made incidents like fires.

“We just had a pay-out recently in San Juan to the victims of a fire there and on 9 October in two barangays of Parañaque,” Bosogon said.

Lawyer Norman Doral, DHSUD National Capital Region officer-in-charge, said the department offers other services aside from targeting “zero ISF (informal settlers families)” in the metropolis.

Doral said over three million houses are planned for Metro Manila, aimed not only at addressing the needs of informal settlers but also catering to middle-income earners eager to own homes through Pag-Ibig housing loans.

“We also monitor private housing projects, including subdivision developments, condominiums and columbarium projects,” Doral said, adding that buyers can approach the DHSUD to verify the validity of these projects.

“This is for the buyers’ protection,” Doral emphasized, ensuring that the homes have gone through the legal process. “We mediate and consolidate if buyers of housing or condo projects feel aggrieved.”

But their main thrust, the DHSUD-NCR director said, is to provide 3.2 million houses in Metro Manila by the end of 2028.