Kadamay’s demand: Give us houses now

LIGHTNING RALLY Kadamay members urge the NHA to speed up the distribution of unoccupied houses. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Around 100 members of the urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) stormed the main office of the National Housing Authority (NHA) on Monday to demand that unoccupied units at government housing projects be awarded to them under a joint congressional resolution signed two months ago.

The group also called on the NHA to start distributing the houses and release the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the resolution, a task the agency was ordered to complete within 60 days after the May 9 signing.

“Instead of providing housing for its poor people, the government has been rounding up loiterers. It seems to forget that they are loitering on the streets because these are the same homeless people which the government is supposed to provide [with] affordable housing,” said Estrellita Bagasbas, Kadamay vice chair.

During the lightning rally in front of the NHA main office in Quezon City, Kadamay members repeatedly struck the steel gate while chanting slogans criticizing the agency’s slowness in solving the housing problem.

At the same time, they filed applications for the release of idle NHA housing units which, they claimed, was also a form of protest.

Group’s appeal

“We are making this appeal on behalf of all (the) homeless. Our plea is for the government not to prolong our agony, especially with the onset of the rainy season,” Bagasbas said.

Kadamay has been demanding that the NHA comply with Joint Resolution No. 2 which orders the distribution of all idle units in various government housing projects supposedly meant for uniformed government personnel.

The delay in its implementation has left thousands of homeless people coping with the worsening economic crisis, soaring prices, inflation rates and unemployment, according to Gloria Arellano, Kadamay chair.

She said in a statement that time was running out on the NHA which had been ignoring their repeated requests.

“We are here to confront this government for its failed promise to provide decent housing. Their time is up for acting like a tambay on our requests,” she added.

No board confirmation

In text messages, Elsie Trinidad, NHA spokesperson, clarified that the agency has yet to implement the joint resolution because while it has completed the draft of the IRR, the NHA board has yet to confirm it.

The board is set to meet on July 25, she added.

Trinidad said that she was also unaware of the applications Kadamay members filed on Monday demanding the release of idle housing units.