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Uruguay plans to house 1,000 families in historic Ciudad Vieja
🇺🇾 Uruguay /Economy & Trade

Uruguay plans to house 1,000 families in historic Ciudad Vieja

From El País · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Uruguay's government plans to house a thousand families in the historic Ciudad Vieja neighborhood within ten years, utilizing eight state-owned properties.
  • The initiative aims to revitalize the area by attracting middle-class residents, particularly young people, and increasing permanent residency.
  • The plan involves private investment and government incentives, including housing law exemptions and price caps, to encourage development and affordability.

The Uruguayan government aims to significantly increase the population of Montevideo's historic Ciudad Vieja neighborhood, projecting a thousand additional families within a decade. The Ministry of Housing and Territorial Planning (MVOT) is spearheading a plan to re-densify the area, with a particular focus on attracting young, middle-class residents who are currently facing challenges in accessing homeownership.

"We want the redensification to feature middle-class sectors as protagonists. And within these sectors, there is a generation that for the first time finds it harder to access housing than their parents did," explained Christian Di Candia, Undersecretary of Housing and Territorial Planning. He noted that this demographic is sometimes referred to as the "boomerang generation" for returning to live with parents.

We want the redensification to feature middle-class sectors as protagonists. And within these sectors, there is a generation that for the first time finds it harder to access housing than their parents did.

— Christian Di CandiaExplaining the target demographic and challenges for young middle-class families in accessing housing.

The strategy involves reclaiming and developing eight state-owned properties. These include sites on 25 de Mayo street, such as the former Banco do Brasil building and a parking lot, as well as properties on Cerrito and Solís streets, and two blocks on the rambla, one occupied by the Navy and the other the former Nursing School. Di Candia estimates that these public properties alone could accommodate a thousand families within seven to eight years, with private sector involvement crucial for the remaining development.

To facilitate this, the National Housing Agency (ANV) will issue calls for proposals for private companies to develop housing projects on these sites, with the land provided in exchange for construction. The government will also offer incentives, such as exemptions under the Promoted Housing Law and price caps on the new residences. Some units will be integrated into ministry programs like rent-to-own or social housing initiatives, aiming to ensure affordability and encourage permanent residency in Ciudad Vieja.

The rest will depend on the private sector.

— Christian Di CandiaAcknowledging the role of private investment in achieving the housing goals for Ciudad Vieja.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El País in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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