The demand for affordable living spaces remains as a perennial problem in the

Philippines. Most of housing projects in the country has resulted in failure. The
following are some constraints that hinder the success of housing development
projects according to different aspects:

Site Analysis & Planning

▪ Proper location of the housing developments should be the first thing to consider
that has always been neglected.
▪ Houses are poorly made from the design to construction phase.
▪ Some designated resettlement areas were located along hazard zones.
▪ There is no source of livelihood within and around the resettlement area.
▪ If there is, it does not fit to the skills of the resettlers that leads them to a big
cultural adjustment.
▪ Inadequate housing is characterized by lack of access to basic services and
utilities such as potable water, electricity, sanitation facilities, classrooms and
health centers.
▪ Lack of decent housing at affordable cost resulting them to dwell in slum areas.
▪ Housing units are not spacious enough and flexible to attend to their changing
needs over time.
▪ The housing units are only designed for a certain number of member of family
members.
▪ Designs and plan of housing units are unable to meet the needs of the modern
world.
▪ Confusing and unclear land use policies

Economic
▪ Since most of the resettlement areas were located off-city, transport cost to their
workplace, school, market, church and government facilities are high.
▪ Unaffordable housing units.
▪ Most of the housing units were built for poor people displaced from their homes
located at hazard zones, without source of living.
▪ Housing units granted to them were being sold to others to gain income and they
return to their place of origin after.
▪ Culture opportunities for people to earn a living or beg on the streets in city
encourage them to live on the streets and not on the housing units.
▪ There are some conflicts arising between neighboring resettlers due to their
differences.
▪ Resettlement of ethnic groups defy some of their traditions and culture. There
are some restrictions which prohibit resettlers in exercising their freedom.

Political
▪ Failure of the National Housing Authority to achieve its objectives.
▪ Government's weak participation in property estate development for housing also
affect the housing situation in the country since much land in urban areas were
owned by private sectors.
▪ The government has been building housing units for victims of natural calamities
and not much for people working in cities, hence, housing backlog is increasing.
▪ The law allows government owned lands to be occupied by informal settlers,
therefore there is always a possibility and a chance for them to go back to their
place of origin if they want to.
▪ Use of substandard materials in housing project construction appears to be
tainted with corruption.
▪ There is poor implementation of local government units (LGUs).