Robert Wright up in Buenos Aires has a great ongoing section called “housing for the masses” over at his site. Although that section primarily covers mass housing projects and their style of architecture from the days of old, I couldn’t help but think of a similar situation that is occurring down here in TDF–minus the grand architecture schemes.
I was driving around the other day to see what’s new in the development side of things around the city of Rio Grande. Electronics assembly plants, warehouses, and homes are popping up everywhere. Chacras, the name given to government-funded housing projects (Chacra I, Chacra IX ,etc), are also in on the boom–the new ones are now numbered in the mid-teens. Before they pretty much consisted of large apartment type complexes but now the new developments are focusing on houses and duplexes. (This is just a quick half-assed post and I’ll grab some shots of the older apartments and cover the topic more another day.)
The whole width of the above shot is filled with units that are under construction.
I really don’t know how many are being built in this Chacra.
Each unit is a duplex. (Might be some single-family mixed in but not sure at the moment)
These pics are amazing… so the government is still building projects all over the country. Wow. Of course, we don’t hear about this in Cap Fed so it’s all the more interesting.
My idea behind the series is to go chronologically thru BsAs projects, then take trips to Córdoba & Rosario to document those. I just can’t seem to get out of the 1920s because so much happened then!
If you meet someone who lives there, be sure to get invited inside & take some pics. Saludos!
Hey Robert,
They’re are all funded by the provincial government but I’m not entirely up to speed on how the whole system works–or if anyone knows for that matter ha :). Here’s what I do know but don’t take it as fact just yet.
Basically the gov’t gave out bids to various construction companies to handle the building of a certain number of houses. Not sure how many each company has the task of constructing.
In the meantime residents of the province can apply for the housing but they have to meet certain requirements. Resident of the province for a certain amount of time. Can’t own any existing property. Income. Work.
What I haven’t read or heard from anyone is how the payment system works and/or if the property can be owned by the resident.
That’s a lot of good info… I’m not so up-to-date on what the govt is currently doing, but there was an article in today’s Clarín about the number of homeless in Argentina being a single-digit %age because of K’s housing programs.
I’d assume that the government would sell qualified people the newly constructed homes because I can’t imagine the current beaucracy acting as an efficient landlord. It would take months to fix a leaky pipe!
What’s scary about your pics is that this resembles 1950s suburban development projects in the US… projects that didn’t work then & won’t work now. But it is better than nothing, I guess
>I’d assume that the government would sell qualified people the newly constructed homes
Yep, I’ve just been told that these will be sold to those who qualify. That’s how it works with the others but just wanted to make sure in this case.
My thoughts exactly on the suburban development resembling the 50’s style when I first came across these.
BTW, I usually know how to spell “bureaucracy,” but it doesn’t always happen after a bottle of wine
Interesting pics about people claiming land for themselves. It happens in BsAs all the time in the southern neighborhoods… enjoying the look at TDF.
Didn’t happen here much before but it is on the rise. Funny thing, well it’s not funny but anyway, is that some of the people I’ve seen laying these plots look like they already have decent homes. Judging by their nice trucks and clothing I mean. (Some I know for a fact do have nice homes)
I think it all fits into the protest and ye shall receive scheme of things. When you know that’s going to happen, might as well join in with the rest and hope to get something out of it.
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