The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is enhancing pro-poor housing programs by incorporating grassroots involvement and community-led planning into national shelter initiatives.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon C. Aliling spearheaded a sectoral dialogue on June 16 with urban development experts and non-government organizations (NGOs) to promote the role of people's plans in shaping inclusive housing policies.

He emphasized that the agency has been instructed by President Marcos to embrace a more people-centric approach, giving priority to the poorest and most vulnerable families in public housing programs.

Key participants included former UN-Habitat official Dr. Nathaniel von Einsiedel, Ateneo de Manila University sociologist Dr. Mary Racelis, and representatives from the Federation for the Development of the Urban Poor, Joly Homes Foundation, and LinkBuild.

The discussions centered on high-density housing and community-driven shelter proposals, empowering informal settler families to lead the design and management of their housing projects.

To expand its scope, DHSUD is evaluating various housing models such as rental schemes, horizontal subdivisions, and incremental construction to cater to the diverse socioeconomic conditions in the country.

As part of these initiatives, the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) has been assigned to revive the Community Mortgage Program (CMP), while the National Housing Authority (NHA) will enhance pro-poor projects in collaboration with organized communities.

These reforms are part of the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program through the 4PHX framework, which advocates for flexibility, inclusivity, and participatory planning in housing delivery.

Support from the private sector is increasing, with three developers committing to provide over 50,000 units under the program's horizontal housing component. The University of the Philippines-Diliman has also shown interest in a rental housing initiative.

Aliling stated, "While we are already pursuing these modalities, rest assured that DHSUD welcomes feedback from all stakeholders to enhance our programs, particularly those that involve active participation from our beneficiaries—from project conceptualization to implementation."

Through these strategies, DHSUD aims to transform the country's housing landscape by promoting inclusive, community-based solutions for low-income Filipino families.