Naga embarks on housing project for indigent families

By Armie B. Gunay NAGA CITY --- Dubbed as ‘One Time, Big Time’ project, the City Government of Naga will be pursuing a housing project for the less privileged families of the city. Mayor John Bongat is expected to approve soon the measure to allow the city government to acquire lands to be used for the housing project. These targeted lands to be purchased from private property owners are mostly situated in the upland barangays of Cararayan, San Isidro, and Pacol, which incidentally are not prone to flooding. The lots will be allocated to indigent families, including informal settlers, who are residents of the city. According to data from the City Housing Settlements and Development Office (HSDO), about 6,000 families had submitted application for housing assistance, aside from those under special emergency cases, such as those affected by demolition and other government projects. This means that families affected and will be affected by the ongoing road-widening projects being implemented by the Department of Works and Public Highways (DPWH) will also be given priority. Each housing community will be provided with necessary facilities such as health centers, drainage system, and access to water and power supply. It is estimated that the city will be needing at least 50 hectares for the project which will be implemented phase by phase until all qualified indigent families are accommodated.