The lack of affordability is a persistent problem in socialized housing programs in the Philippines. Affordability is a critical component of the right to adequate housing. Without access to affordable housing, the poor are forced to create homes in unsafe spaces and slums.

This policy brief tackles the issue of affordability of socialized housing within a human rights framework. It particularly highlights the problem of affordable housing for the poorest 30% of Filipino families. It also marks the challenges and limits of the dominant approach to socialized housing in light of the implementation of two codes that have governed socialized housing for more than 25 years, the forthcoming creation of a Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), and efforts to shift to a federal form of government.