Republic Act 7279

1. Definition

Republic Act 7279 (RA 7279), officially known as the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 (UDHA), is the central legal framework governing socialized housing and urban land reform in the Philippines. Often called the Lina Law, the statute mandates local government units to identify lands for socialized housing, regulates the relocation of informal settlers to prevent human rights abuses, and enforces the balanced housing quota requiring developers of subdivisions and condominiums to construct low-cost housing units. ([Official Gazette][1])

2. Alternate Names

*   Republic Act 7279
*   RA 7279
*   Urban Development and Housing Act
*   UDHA
*   Lina Law

3. Recognized Identities

*   Wikipedia: Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992
*   Wikidata: Q115814524
*   DBpedia: N/A
*   ProductOntology: N/A
*   Wiktionary: N/A
*   Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Housing — Law and legislation — Philippines
*   MeSH: N/A
*   NCBI Taxonomy: N/A
*   AGROVOC: N/A
*   Google Scholar: Republic Act 7279 Urban Development and Housing Act Lina Law socialized housing
*   ConceptNet: N/A
*   OpenCyc: N/A

4. Examples of Usage

*   **Section 18 Quota Compliance:** A developer constructing a socialized subdivision in Bulacan to offset their luxury project in Manila under RA 7279.
*   **Republic Act No. 7279:** The main canonical article details the full legal text, history, land assembly, and amendments of the UDHA.

5. Typical Scenarios

*   **Securing socialized housing lands:** A municipal LGU conducts an inventory of government-owned raw land to designate resettlement sites under RA 7279 guidelines.
*   **Halting an illegal demolition:** A community legal advocate files an injunction, citing lack of 30-day notice and relocation options required under Section 28 of RA 7279.

6. Key Strategies

*   Cross-reference developer obligations with the main Republic Act No. 7279 article.
*   Coordinate with local housing boards to check LGU zoning compliance with the comprehensive land use plan (CLUP).

7. Safety & Security Measures

*   Ensure that any eviction process conforms strictly to the humanitarian requirements of Section 28 of the Lina Law.
*   Check that socialized housing units comply with the basic service standards of Batas Pambansa Blg. 220.

8. Historical Context

RA 7279 was signed on March 24, 1992 by President Corazon Aquino. Authored by Senator Jose Lina, it sought to uplift landless urban residents by providing affordable housing and preventing arbitrary demolitions. The law adjusted in 2016 through RA 10884, changing the housing quotas for developers from 20% to 15% for subdivisions and 5% for condominiums. ([Official Gazette][1])

9. Common Challenges

*   **Gaps in Resettlement Sites:** Relocation sites are often built in distant provinces without clean water, electricity, or employment, forcing settlers back to cities.
*   **Speculative Land Hoarding:** The high price of urban real estate prevents LGUs from acquiring land parcels for in-city relocation projects.

10. Related Topics

*   [[Republic Act No. 7279]]
*   [[Socialized Housing Philippines]]
*   [[Economic Housing Philippines]]
*   [[Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development]]

11. References

1.  [Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines](http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/)