The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) said at least 10 additional rental housing projects are set to be launched in the first quarter of 2026, reinforcing rental housing as a core modality under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program, according to the agency’s yearend report.
Rental housing was introduced under the Expanded 4PH to serve households not yet ready or able to buy homes, particularly families constrained by land scarcity, mobility needs, job proximity, or limited incomes. As a flexible and affordable option, rentals provide immediate access to dignified shelter and reduce pressure on informal settlements.
Under this modality, DHSUD partnered with the University of the Philippines to roll out Pook Marilag Residences in UP Diliman, the program’s pilot rental project serving faculty, nonteaching staff, and long-time informal settler families within the campus, with support from the Quezon City government.
Building on the model, the Department is in talks with UP Los Baños and its local government unit to develop a similar rental housing arrangement for low-income campus workers, underscoring efforts to expand options in land-constrained areas.
DHSUD has also sealed a partnership with the Victorias City local government unit to roll out rental housing in Negros Occidental, signaling deeper national-local coordination to deliver inclusive shelter solutions for low-income and vulnerable families.
In its yearend report, DHSUD cited broader 2025 gains under Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling, including streamlined tax exemptions for socialized housing, adjusted price ceilings, inter-agency data sharing, revived community mortgage sites benefiting thousands, faster land disposition, expanded in-city and high-density projects, and the rollout of a government-led National Housing Expo and Bayanihan Villages for disaster-displaced families, positioning the housing sector for 2026.
