TJ Burgonio and Jocelyn Uy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer report that urban poor leaders have objected to the government's plan to offer ₱18,000 in rent subsidy to each of the 19,440 families living along major waterways in Metro Manila, calling it a "band-aid solution" to the housing problem.
According to the report, leaders of the Urban Poor Associates, a nongovernment organization say the government could put the money to better use by building a permanent resettlement area. The Department of Interior and Local Government is allocating a total of P360 million to the assistance program meant to help families pay the rent for homes that are not close to Metro Manila's creeks and rivers.
Malacañang said the program is part of President Benigno Aquino III's "comprehensive plan to relocate 100,000 families of informal settlers in the metropolis between now and 2016."
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