By PNA and U.S. News Agency / Asian

Some 400 families living inside a cemetery will be provided houses under the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP)program of the city government.

Atty. Collin Rosell, DWUP chief, said construction of two four-storey medium buildings inside the Old Lorega San Miguel Cemetery will start in November and expected to be finished in six months.

The cemetery was relocated to give rise to the building which can accommodate 86 families or a total of 172 urban poor settlers, especially those living in danger zones.

The project, Rosell said, will be funded by the P78 million Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) of the National Housing Authority (NHA).

The P78 million set aside by the NHA represents the balance from the P100-million national government subsidy releases for PAF allocated for Cebu City.

The fund was really intended for resettlement projects for informal settlers occupying creeks, esteros, and waterways.

Rosell also said the city government will develop, before the end of the year, its socialized housing site in the mountain barangay of Sinsin.

The site development project will cover an 18,998sq.m property that can accommodate 223 urban poor families.

The project will be funded by the P24 million that the city acquired through the NHA’s Regional Resettlement Program.

The NHA fund was made available in May 2011 but failure of the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) to finish the program of works and estimates (Powe) for the two medium rise buildings stalled the project.

The building will accommodate those who are living in the danger areas of the city; informal settlers living along creeks,rivers and esteros who are prone to flooding.