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Abstract:
In 2004, the Argentinean government launched a social housing programme that–in terms of budget and goals–was more than ten times the size of any other government intervention in the preceding fifteen years. The Federal Social Housing Programme, or ‘Programa Federal’, marked a significant departure from more than a decade of neo-liberal policy in which social housing construction had come to a virtual standstill. However, despite the fact that the Programa Federal is one of the largest social housing programmes in the Latin American region, it is uncertain whether it can actually deliver on its promise of providing an adequate housing solution for the low-income sectors. Despite the enormous government expenditure, the housing situation of low-income families has actually become more problematic in recent years, as evidenced by ever-growing slums and increasing numbers of people living in overcrowded tenement houses. This paradox–high government expenditure on social housing on the one hand, and increasing informality on the other–raises important questions regarding the way housing programmes are designed and how they are implemented. In this chapter we argue that a large-scale social housing programme, such as the Programa Federal, that does not simultaneously articulate a clear land policy and take into account the social complexity and diversity on the ground, is bound to fall short of reaching its goals. We do this by discussing the design and implementation of the Programa Federal in the City of Buenos Aires since it became operational in 2004. In particular, we examine how the programme contributes to …
