The Costa Rica News (TCRN) – Experts declared at the Second Pan American Congress of Housing, held in Costa Rica, that the provision of credit and greater access to housing are the main challenges facing Central America.
The speakers noted that Central America has maintained a very traditional pattern, in which the money contributes the whole state so that poor people have access to housing, something that is not sustainable over time.
Also, the middle class has been neglected for many years. They are those who have, concerning their income, opportunities to build or buy a home but for all requirements they apply for, banks can not obtain it.
“There is a greater demand for the middle class, but tight credit conditions have limited access, this means that there is lot of demand but little supply. So homes are rented, “explained the director of the College of Engineers and Architects of Costa Rica, Olman Vargas.
For Vargas it is important to find new ways of funding like implemented in Mexico where urbanisations are built with different lot sizes, so different social classes can live together.
The president of Costa Rica in the Central American Association for Housing (ACENVI), organizer of the activity, Oscar Alvarado, said that you also need to think “about the quality and not just quantity” of homes being built.
“We need spaces that allow a better quality of life, which go hand in hand with environmental thoughts. This effort aims to boost Central America as a culture,” Alvarado said.
He added that since the association they are aware of the challenges, because the urgent will always be the first thing, but it is “important and necessary” to implement new policies into construction.
“We’re not talking about building and increasing only the rate of construction of a country, which certainly helps a lot in creating employment. We think that the housing impact has to go further, with a green and sustainable housing,” said Alvarado.
At the event, issues such as land policies for sustainable cities and reducing carbon footprint in housing, were addressed.
Besides, the climate change and sustainable construction, the housing sector in Central America, as well as the current situation of the national finance system and the housing sector in Costa Rica were topics.
The Congress was attended by representatives of organizations of different countries, among the expositors stands out the Colombian – Canadian architect, Arturo Samper, the urban planner and civil engineer Honduran Lily Mejia, an expert on infrastructure projects and cost analysis.
The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
San Jose, Costa Rica