LOW-QUALITY Philippine urban housing was estimated at 40% of the total, higher than the corresponding shares for India or Indonesia, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a working paper.
Citing significant housing challenges faced by the Philippines, the ADB said the other dimension of the housing problem is inadequacy, or the shortage of available dwellings.
“Housing inadequacy and poor-quality housing are a global challenge affecting over 2.8 billion people, including about 1.1 billion living in informal settlements and slums and more than 300 million experiencing homelessness,” the ADB said.
“Asia and the Pacific account for a substantial share of this challenge,” it added.
The bank said inequality in housing is more pronounced in countries like the Philippines, along with Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.
The ADB noted that “housing deprivation is not only a nationwide challenge but also a significant distributional one.”
“Rapid urbanization and population growth have led to a proliferation of slums and informal settlements. More than half a billion Asians live in slum conditions without secure tenure, adequate basic services, or legal recognition,” it added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile
