Rental Housing Subsidy Act of 2026

Senate Office of the forcectary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 26 MAR -9 P4:12 First Regular Session SENATE RECEIVED BY: S. No. 1945 Introduced by Senator JV Ejercito AN ACT ESTABLISHING A RENTAL SUBSIDY PROGRAM FOR INFORMAL SETTLER FAMILIES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES EXPLANATORY NOTE The Philippines has an estimated total population of 116,800,000 million. I Approximately 3.16% or 3.7 million of the total population are reported to be part of the informal settler families (ISFs) of which the 600,000 families reside in slums and high-risk areas within Metro Manila.? With the continuous rise of the population, the housing and resettlement program always tries to accommodate every family eligible. Furthermore, there are a lot of target beneficiaries who refuse to relocate since these sites may not be convenient for their employment, education, and other basic services. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including....housing". Article XIII Section 9 provides that the State shall make a continuing program of urban land reform and housing at an affordable cost. It is imperative that the State offers a program that helps encourage these families to accept the relocation. This bill seeks to enable the government to implement a rental subsidy program for eligible families, providing them with the necessary support to remain 1 Philippines Population 2025 - United Nations Population Fund 2 Federigan, L. (2025). Climate justice for the urban poor: A local agenda. The Manila Times.

near urban centers while ongoing housing and resettlement programs are being completed. By establishing this rental assistance program for informal settler families (ISFs), the measure ensures that the State prioritizes their welfare, offering temporary relief while their permanent housing solutions are in progress. To help families maintain a stable and uninterrupted daily life, the immediate passage of this legislation is earnestly sought. • • 00- JV EJERCITO

Senate Offite of the entertai TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES MAR -9 P4:12 First Regular Session SENATE RECEIVED BY: S. No. 1945 Introduced by Senator JV Ejercito AN ACT ESTABLISHING A RENTAL SUBSIDY PROGRAM FOR INFORMAL SETTLER FAMILIES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Rental Housing

2 Subsidy Act of 2026".

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to:

(a) Promote a just, equitable, and inclusive urban development through programs providing adequate social services, broader housing options, livelihood and employment, and an improved quality of life for the Filipino people, especially the underprivileged; (b) Provide an innovative housing program that makes available affordable, livable, and decent housing, as well as access to basic social services, especially for the underprivileged; (c) Protect the urban poor from the impact of immediate dislocation due to eviction and demolition arising from government projects and disasters; and (d) Provide interim housing for dislocated families due to natural and man- made disasters and calamities.

Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:

(a) "Dislocation" refers to the state of being displaced from one place to another due to causes such as eviction and demolition. (b) "Informal Settler Beneficiaries" (ISB) refer to individuals or households living in their own house or renting a dwelling unit: i. Without consent of the lot owner; ii. In danger areas as defined under Republic Act No. 7279, otherwise known as the "Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992"; ili. In government-owned lands to be used for government infrastructure projects; iv. In protected forest areas except for indigenous people; v. In areas of priority development as declared under Proclamation No, 1967, Series of 1980, if applicable; or vi. In other government public lands or facilities not intended for human habitation. (c) "Lessee" shall refer to the person renting a residential unit. (d)"Owner/Lessor" shall include the owner, administrator, or agent of the owner of the residential unit. (e) "Rent" shall mean the amount paid for the use or occupancy of a residential unit whether payment is made on a monthly or other basis. (f) "Rental Housing Subsidy" refers to partial financial assistance provided by the government to eligible program beneficiaries to rent accommodation in the private rental market. The amount shall not exceed the rates as regulated under Republic Act No. 9653, otherwise known as the "Rent Control Act of 2009"

Sec. 4. Rental Housing Subsidy Program. - There is hereby established the

Rental Housing Subsidy Program, hereinafter referred to as the "Program," to provide social protection and support to ISBs in accessing the formal housing market. It shall be made an option to address the temporary relocation of displaced families due to natural and man-made disasters. Eligible ISBs shall receive a flat rental subsidy rate of Three thousand five hundred pesos (PhP 3,500.00) for those living in Metro Manila, and a rental subsidy rate to be jointly determined by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban

1 Development (DHSUD) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for those living in all other regions, taking into consideration the prevailing minimum wage and rental rates per region, but not to exceed Three thousand five hundred pesos (PhP3,500.00): Provided, That the rental subsidy shall not exceed the actual rent: Provided, further, That at any time, but not more than once every two (2) years, such subsidy may be reviewed or revised jointly by the DHSUD and NEDA to conform with prevailing economic conditions. Rental subsidy shall be granted to eligible beneficiaries until the date of 9 completion of the permanent housing project intended for them or upon their actual transfer to the permanent housing project, whichever comes first: Provided, That, in case of delay in the completion of the permanent housing project, the rental subsidy shall be extended: Provided, further. That the agency implementing the permanent housing project shall bear the cost of the extended rental subsidy.

Sec. 5. Eligibility. -To be an eligible beneficiary under this Act, an individual or

household must: (a) Live under any of the conditions under Sec. 3, paragraph b, of this Act; (b) Have a source of livelihood or have at least one (1) member of the household gainfully employed: Provided, That the daily cumulative income of said family will amount to the prevailing minimum wage in the region; and (c) Vacate the informal settlement area in which they are presently living and transfer or relocate to a safer, decent, and formal settlement and sign a maximum five (5) - year contract with the government.

Sec. 6. Conditions for Continued Entitlement or Eligibility. - All eligible

beneficiaries shall comply with the following conditions to continuously avail of the benefits under this Act: (a) The beneficiaries shall not move or relocate back to the area in which they were originally living unless such move or relocation has been permitted by the proper government authorities, taking into consideration the purpose of the Program; and (b) The beneficiaries shall pay to the lessor that portion of the rental fee not covered by the subsidy.

(c) Beneficiaries who maintain good payment standing shall be prioritized as beneficiaries in government housing programs.

Sec. 7. Form of Payment - The rental subsidy shall be distributed by the DHSUD

in such form it may determine to be most beneficial and appropriate for the beneficiaries.

Sec. 8. Rotes of Government Agencies. - The various national government

agencies and instrumentalities involved in the Program shall perform specific responsibilities. (a) The DHSUD shall: i. Coordinate with housing agencies to formulate Program targets and integrate these to the national housing policy; ii. Promulgate appropriate housing policies among the attached corporations of DHSUD and other concerned implementing agencies as necessary in line with the implementation of this Program; iii. Maintain a national database of validated ISBs, their socio-economic profile, and their respective lessors as well as the link to publicly accessible registry of lessors, and the location and basic description of the rental housing unit; iv. Enlist beneficiaries and their lessors for the Program; v. Disburse the rental subsidy to the lessors of the ISBs through a dedicated bank account in a government bank; vi. Formulate guidelines on the minimum design of a safe, decent, and adequate rental housing unit that considers public health goals; vii. Set up a monitoring and evaluation system, tools, grievance and redress system, exit strategy, and methodologies on compliance with conditions, implementation, output, and impact assessments together with its attached agencies, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PGUP), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Local Government Units (LGUs); and vili. Recommend to Congress measures for the proper and responsive implementation of this Act.

(b) The National Housing Authority (NHA) shall: i. Coordinate with infrastructure program implementing agencies, including the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr), regarding the identification of areas suitable for housing projects and the persons who need immediate resettlement; ii. Conduct census and tagging of affected ISBs for immediate resettlement; iii. Certify and submit to DHSUD the list of eligible ISBs living in government-owned land to be used for government infrastructure project and in areas for priority development as declared under Proclamation No. 1967, s. 1980, if applicable, in coordination with DOTr, DPWH, and LGUs; and iv. Provide a national database of resettlement housing units ready for occupancy by intended ISBs of the program. (c) The LGUs shall: i. Assist the NHA in conducting census and tagging of ISBs in need of immediate resettlement; ii. Assist the DSWD and PGUP in conducting social preparation activities; ili. Contain the vacated areas of ISBs to help achieve the objectives of this Program; iv. Assist the DSWD in conducting field validation of beneficiaries and their respective lessors for the rental housing units; v. Conduct an inventory of rental housing units that are compliant with the minimum design and standard facilities set by the DHSUD in consultation with other concerned agencies; vi. Assist in monitoring and evaluation of the Program, especially the continued occupancy of rental housing units by ISBs; vii. Maintain a database of ISBs as defined in this Act and registered lessors in their area of jurisdiction that can be linked to DHSUD'S

national database and shared with other concerned government implementing agencies of the Program; and vili. Maintain a publicly accessible registry of rental housing units with basic description, which are compliant with minimum design and standard facilities in their respective area of jurisdiction. (d) The DSWD shall: i. Validate the list of eligible ISBs provided by DHSUD against the "Listahanan" or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR); ii. With the assistance of LGUs, conduct field validation of ISBs and their respective lessors for the rental housing units; iii. Submit the list of validated ISBs to DHSUD for funding; iv. Jointly undertake with the PGUP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) the design of the social preparation; and v. Jointly undertake with the PGUP and LGUs the conduct of the social preparation. (e) The PCUP shall: i. Jointly undertake, with the DSWD and the DILG, the design of the social preparation; and ii. Jointly undertake, with the DSWD and LGUs, the conduct of social preparation. (f) The TESDA shall provide skills training to at least one (1) household 2 member of the beneficiaries. It shall ensure that the skills trainings provided 3 to beneficiaries are in line with the environment of the relocation site. (g) The Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) shall enroll in its system at least one (1) household member of the applicant-beneficiaries of the Program to facilitate their entry into the formal housing market. Provided, That a national program steering committee, and regional, provincial, city, and municipal technical working groups (TWGs) composed of the DHSUD, NHA, LGUS, DSWD, TESDA, PGUP, and HDMF shall be constituted to define the line of coordination and to ensure seamless program coordination.

Provided, further That DHSUD shall closely collaborate with the NHA, DSWD, 2 DILG, and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in the development of a program design and funding mechanism.

Sec. 9. Additional Positions and Personnel for the DHSUD. - For purposes of

this Act, the DHSUD shall, in accordance with pertinent civil service rules, create 6 positions and enlist additional personnel to ensure the proper and appropriate implementation of the Program under this Act, subject to the evaluation and approval 8 by the DBM.

Sec. 10. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the effective

implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current appropriations for DHSUD. Hereafter, such amount as may be necessary for its continued implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act: Provided, that funding support for agencies implementing the Program shall be included in the necessary appropriations for this Act.

Sec. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DHSUD, in coordination

with relevant government agencies, shall issue rules, regulations, and guidelines necessary to carry out the intent and purposes of this Act within six (6) months from date of effectivity.

Sec. 12. Mandatory Review on the Implementation of this Act. - The DHSUD

shall submit to the Congress a report on the implementation of this Program at the end of the second year from the date of effectivity of this Act and every two (2) years thereafter.

Sec. 13. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act, or parts thereof, is

declared unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other portions.

Sec. 14. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees,

implementing rules and regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Sec. 15. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved,