The local government unit (LGU) of Tagbilaran City is working on a tenement housing project in barangay Cabawan to provide shelter for some of the urban poor families who are living as illegal settlers.
This was announced by City Councilor Nerio Zamora II in an interview over dyTR’s Open Forum on January 22, 2024, hosted by sisters Ardy Araneta-Batoy and Gloria Leodivica Araneta.
Zamora said that the LGU is facing a major challenge in addressing the housing needs of the urban poor, especially those who occupy lands without the consent of the owners.
He said that the tenement housing project is one of the initiatives of the Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP) to institutionalize socialized housing for poor families and reduce informal settlement in the city.
The tenement housing project is a medium-rise building with four floors, consisting of housing units for the urban poor beneficiaries. Zamora said that the project is supported by City Mayor Jane Cajes-Yap.
However, Zamora admitted that the tenement housing project is not enough to accommodate all the urban poor families in the city.
He said that the LGU is also collaborating with various agencies to build more housing projects for the city’s urban poor population.
He added that some of the informal settlers have permission from the lot owners, while others don’t.
The city kagawad said that evicting the illegal settlers could lead to legal disputes once the lot owners decide to reclaim their lands.