BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance creating the Baguio city Urban Development and Housing board.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Maria Mylen Victoria G. Yaranon stated that the board shall be the local government’s policy-making body on shelter and housing programs and to act as a one-stop shop housing processing center.
Among the functions of the board include ensuring the creation of the Baguio City Urban Development and Housing Office directly reporting to the City Mayor’s Office, recommending all proposals for the budgetary requirements pertinent to the operation of the office; promulgating policies or guidelines pertinent to the implementation of the local shelter and housing programs; approving or disapproving the comprehensive city shelter plan submitted by the aforesaid office; act as a one-stop housing processing center to process all housing permits, clearances and certifications, but not limited to land use clarification, development permits, locational clearances and other housing-related activities; recommending for approval of the City Council the certification, clearances, development permits and other housing related activities of a project proponent; recommend for approval of the City Council the comprehensive land use plan; ensuring the creation of the community-based housing coordinating committee and its implementing guidelines; advising the City Council on matters of local taxation which may affect the local government’s community-based housing programs; recommend for approval of the City Mayor partnership agreements with any other government housing or private entity or organizations, including but not limited to housing production assistance, resettlement development, local housing and cost recoverable joint venture; recommend for approval of the city Council the accreditation of any community housing association on any related housing projects and other private originators or community mortgage programs; recommending for approval of the City Mayor the hiring of consultants in various housing related activities not limited to preparation of comprehensive land use plan but also of technical assistance in the implementation of different housing programs and preparation of the comprehensive shelter plan of the city; acting as community mortgage program originator and enable any socialized housing project; recommending for approval of the City Mayor agreements within any government or private entity for the conduct of proper planning sessions, trainings, seminars, conferences and capability building and any housing related activities or issues; authorizing the City Treasurer to disburse funds from the special housing trust fund to the board approved appropriation prepared in accordance with applicable existing rules and regulations; serving as advisory committee to the City Council on urban development and housing programs such as but not limited to necessity of local appropriations for the use of the urban development and housing programs.
Under the proposed ordinance, the City Planning and Development Officer shall serve as the city’s housing officer under the city Mayor’s Office in temporary capacity until such time that the local government hires a permanent housing officer.
The Baguio City Urban Development and Housing board shall be chaired by the City Mayor and co-chaired by the Chairman of the City Council Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Land Use and with the chairman of the City Council Committee on Public works, Chairman of the Committee on Livelihood, Cooperatives and Persons with Disabilities, chairman of the Committee on Social Services, Women and Urban Poor, city Administrator, City Planning and Development officer, City Engineer, City Urban Development and Housing officer, City Social Welfare and Development officer, City Environment and Parks Management officer, city Legal officer, DILG representative, Local Committee on Audit officer, representative of key shelter agencies, representative of federation of community housing agencies, or urban poor, representative of any private professional practitioner and housing related organizations existing in the city and representative of regional urban development and housing office.
By Dexter A. See