Proposals of Non Governmental Organizations and innovator habitat politics in Argentina

Author: Red Habitat Argentina

There are 100.000 empty properties in the Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires – it is to say that no inhabitants are living in there. Since 2005 different organizations – local and international ones – have been presenting this problem wherever it corresponds, it is to say not only to the “Senado de la Nación” (National Senate Parliament) but also to the local and national authorities as well.

But a new innovator initiative is now showing up in our community: it is “to wall in the properties” and, in this way, to keep them empty to allow the rentals go on being high – very high for a family to afford them. And which is worst: families know that there are nothing to rent.

Hotels, “inquilinatos” (big houses with a lot of rooms which are rented by unit to different families), boarding-houses – which in many cases do not meet the least conditions to live in there – “happily” rent a 3×2 m. room, $ 800 monthly but “no children please”…People think that the city is an alternative to solve their problems (health, education, security, habitat, and so on) and hope to grow and develop theirselves living here but our representatives and the people who are in charge of urbanizing the city design one which turns out people – when the reality all over the world is telling them that it is not the right way to go on.

Social organizations are fighting to get a frame law and an urban reform – they are also in favor of the right to the city, in favor of “la tenencia segura”. The international NGOs ask: “What does it mean?” Well, you come to Argentina and we are going to be in front of a walled in house for somebody else to take a photo to us. It is useful for tourism, not ever is everything lost – anyway we do not pay any tax neither for the walled in house nor for the photo.

NB: Press Cutting Service
This article is culled from daily press coverage from around the world. It is posted on the Urban Gateway by way of keeping all users informed about matters of interest. The opinion expressed in this article is that of the author and in no way reflects the opinion of UN-HABITAT.