Reinforced homes in Mexico

Project data

NGO Name:

Cooperación Comunitaria CC ONG A.C.

Place of execution:

Municipio de Malinaltepec, La Soledad y Ojo de Agua, México, América Latina

Year:

2021

SELAVIP Contribution (USD):

$ 28.000

Families:

Progress:

100%

Type of solution:

18 viviendas de 110 m2

New dwelling

Language English

Country context

Country: Mexico

Capital: Mexico City

Continent: America (South America / Latin America)

Administrative Political Division: 32 federal entities and in total there are 2,471 Municipalities

Population: 128.000.000 million inhabitants

Urban Zone: About 79% of the population (more than 2.500 inhabitants per city are considered)

Official Language: 68 Indigenous languages and Spanish

Currency: Mexican Peso (US$1 dollar is equivalent to M$20.92 Mexican pesos)

Border: This country borders the United States, Guatemala and Belize

Area: 1.964.375 km2

Annual Inflation Rate: 7,36% (year 2021)

Unemployment Rate: 3,6 % (January 2022)

GDP Per Capita: 22.053 USD (December 2021)

Approximate Minimum Salary: US $256 ($2.300.000 Mexican Pesos)

HDI: 0,779 (ranks 74th in the world and is considered High)

Gini coefficient: 0,415 (where 1 is perfect inequality and 0 is perfect equality, that is, everyone earns the same)

% of the Population below the Poverty Line: 43,9%

Summary of the project

This project responded to the need to help reduce the vulnerability of homes in rural areas, against natural phenomena and correct the main housing deficiencies of industrialized homes, and the effects on cultures, societies and rural habitats. The proposed solutions represent an innovative policy that contributed to preventing overcrowding in urban and periurban areas, priority goals of migration from rural areas. The project was carried out in the region of the Mountain of Guerrero, in the South of Mexico, one of the poorest and most backward areas of the country, also a victim of natural phenomena such as hurricanes, floods and tremors with catastrophic potential. Within the framework of a collaboration of more than 7 years with the communities, trust was generated and favoring the search for solutions appropriate to the local context, therefore Community Cooperation (CC) proposed the self-construction of houses, based on the recovery of knowledge, local techniques and materials, technologically updated and reinforced to adapt to the local habitat and climate in the region of the Mountain of Guerrero. The results derived from this action were:

18 reinforced adobe homes in 2 communities in the Montaña de Guerrero, located in landslide-free areas;

At least 18 families from 4 communities in the Mountain of Guerrero strengthened their capacities to exercise the right to adequate housing; the construction practices implemented, by resorting to local materials and eco-technologies, reduced the impact of the new homes on the environment.

The houses that were built thanks to the support of SELAVIP, together with other solidarity organizations and foundations, were based on the principles of social production and management of habitat. Therefore, they not only responded to a housing logic, but also represented a relevant contribution to reducing the vulnerability of the population, improving the quality of life and rebuilding the community social fabric.

The 18 families were affected by hurricanes Ingrid and Manuel in 2013 and since then they have lived in precarious housing with severe structural damage or in a situation of serious overcrowding with other relatives (up to 11 people in a room). Of the 18 families, 16 were admissible as beneficiaries of technical assistance from the reconstruction project of CONAVI (National Housing Commission or Conavi, which is an institution of the Government of Mexico that provides housing support to people who need it most). All were eligible as beneficiaries of the cooperation project between Cooperativa Comunitaria A.C. and miser.