Residents Propose 260,000 Housing Units for Low-Income Families to Jeannette Jara

Original article: Pobladores proponen a Jeannette Jara 260 mil viviendas para familias de bajos ingresos

Social organizations from various communities presented a series of proposals to presidential candidate Jeannette Jara of Unidad por Chile on Monday, aimed at advancing housing development in the country. These initiatives include the construction of 260,000 housing units for low-income families, emphasizing binding participation.

The document, titled «Manifesto for a Chile with Dignified Housing and Safe Neighborhoods,» was prepared by leaders from housing committees, neighborhood councils, and community organizations, outlining 11 key points to structurally address the housing deficit.

«This proposal is not born from an office, but from the concrete experiences of hundreds of individuals who have worked hard and organized to develop their own housing projects and lead their communities,» the representatives stated.

The text articulates that housing is fundamental for security, family life, and social stability, calling for the establishment of housing and urban policies that reflect common sense, participation, and long-term vision. It insists that organizations be actively involved in solutions rather than simply being spectators in the process.

These proposals were submitted at Jara’s campaign headquarters located in the Paris-London neighborhood in the heart of Santiago.

During a live connection with the program La Mañanera, hosted by El Ciudadano Director Javier Pineda Olcay, social organization representatives stated that the manifesto aims to contribute to Jara’s campaign, ensuring that urgent housing demands are addressed amid the ongoing crisis facing the sector.

In discussions with Jara’s campaign team, they expressed interest in speaking directly with the former Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, highlighting that the document was crafted over more than a month through various meetings held across the country.

National Housing and Neighborhoods Plan

The first point of the manifesto proposes the continuation of the Housing Emergency Plan, which aims to build over 260,000 housing units within four years, prioritizing families with the least resources.

They pointed out that access to a home should not lead to an endless wait, calling for a «reasonable maximum delivery timeframe, avoiding bureaucratic delays that hinder thousands’ rights to a dignified life.»

This proposal aligns with a goal set by President Gabriel Boric’s government, which, through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MINVU), implemented the Housing Emergency Plan to provide 260,000 housing units during its term.

The organizations emphasized the necessity to ensure that allocated resources are fully utilized, with clear and transparent objectives to guarantee fair and effective budget distribution.

«Continuity of programs and adherence to promised numbers must become a state policy,» they affirmed.

National Campsites Plan

In light of the rise of informal settlements and the «deep despair resulting from evictions» in various regions, the manifesto demands «definitive housing solutions, the implementation of processes for urban resettlement, with alternatives such as assisted self-construction, to diversify access to housing options» and the «repeal of the Usurpation Law, which criminalizes poverty.»

They also advocated for the effective involvement of communities through Citizen Tables on Housing and Urban Development at the commune and regional levels.

Public Land Bank

One of the most innovative proposals in the manifesto suggests transforming the Land Bank from a mere administrator to an active entity that «intervenes and regulates land, protecting the common interest against real estate speculation.»

This includes «the ability to acquire privately owned land of public interest at fair prices» and establishing a «national inventory of vacant or underutilized lots,» including «land currently managed by the Armed Forces for proactive urban planning, supported by a Land Fund with permanent resources from MINVU and regional governments for financing acquisitions.»

«This proposal transforms the city into a right,» they emphasized.

Community Leadership Training Program

The manifesto proposes a national training system where «every committee leader must complete a certified course with a final evaluation,» coordinated by the MINVU Study Center alongside public universities, technical institutes, and training centers.

The program should include «state funding to cover training, transportation, childcare, and meals» to ensure equitable access, thereby strengthening democracy and efficiency in housing policy.

Safe Neighborhoods Plan

In the document directed to Jara, residents recalled that for decades they have demanded a policy for the recovery of community spaces nationwide, including parks, sports fields, community centers, and sidewalks in disrepair.

They stated that «safety begins in the immediate environment, in a neighborhood with proper lighting, green areas, cultural and sports zones, and community gathering spaces,» proposing a strategy for «active coexistence among organized neighbors that strengthens social fabric,» allowing children and youth to play a key role in the design and recovery of these spaces.

«An active, well-maintained neighborhood with community presence is a safer neighborhood,» they pointed out.

Legal Penalties for Illegal Sale of Housing Slots

One of the most emphatic points in the document stresses the urgent need to «establish clear and effective legal penalties against those profiting from families’ needs by selling slots or positions in housing committees.»

The organizations propose that «the sale or fraudulent intermediary of housing slots be classified as a crime» and that those who engage in such practices be disqualified from holding public office, alongside strengthening monitoring and reporting mechanisms through new institutional channels.

Safe and Quality Housing

The manifesto states that if elected, Jeannette Jara must guarantee that homes meet high construction standards» through the «modernization of the General Urbanism and Construction Law.»

It also calls for updates to regulations «to expedite the regulatory habilitation processes for land and incorporate new technologies, such as industrialized housing, ensuring suitable sizes for families’ actual needs.» Additionally, it encourages the construction of energy-efficient homes, using «resilient materials, good insulation, inclusive design, and a harmonious relationship with the environment.»

This initiative also promotes the inclusion of adaptations for individuals on the autism spectrum and with disabilities as part of the legal habitability requirements.

The social organizations further emphasized the need to facilitate housing access through self-managed habitat production forms, such as cooperatives, by creating new supportive legal frameworks.

Housing Within City Limits

Another proposal calls for the introduction of a super localization subsidy that accounts for land value, enabling families to live near their support networks and opportunities, especially when applying to housing committees.

Residents clarified that «this is not just about building homes but allowing people to remain in their communes, close to schools, healthcare centers, and transportation, leveraging public investment in infrastructure to halt gentrification,»

The goal is to guarantee «the right to the city and territorial justice,» they emphasized.

Participatory Coordination and Oversight

The manifesto suggests that strengthening coordination among various involved actors—ministries, municipalities, SERVIU, and organized communities—will expedite processes and prevent delays.

It further highlights that oversight must be transparent to provide responsible support «based on technical social units, with municipal teams working in conjunction with committees and the state, granting them greater authority and budgets in this regard.»

Defending the State’s Capacity to Invest in Housing

The manifesto underscores that in the face of the current budgetary crisis affecting the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, «it is urgent to recover and strengthen its investment capacity and annual budget.»

Consequently, they urge Jara to steadily increase the resources allocated for building housing for the most vulnerable sectors and to improve the most deteriorated neighborhoods in the country.

National Table for Dignified Housing and Safe Neighborhoods

Finally, the organizations propose the establishment of a permanent working table involving communities, municipalities, public institutions, and private actors to coordinate actions and share best practices.

«Housing and urban solutions must be planned with people, not for them. Citizen participation and accountability must be at the heart of all housing policy. Only through dialogue and collaboration can trust be built and progress towards a fairer, more livable Chile for everyone,» residents affirmed.

The text highlights that this manifesto emerged from the organized voices of residents amid the most significant housing crisis experienced in Chile in recent decades.

To ensure that these demands become effective policies, they stressed to Jara the importance of establishing a permanent working table with social leadership in her government, «guaranteeing that participation is binding and sustained over the next four years.»

«We hope you commit to these dreams and demands. You have our unwavering and hopeful support to build dignified housing, safe neighborhoods, and a more just Chile. For the house, for a roof, Housing is a Right!» they concluded.

Among the organizations that signed the manifesto are:

Supporting Organizations:
Association of the Landless Committees
Group of Fighters from Lo Hermida
Ukamau
Committee Ángel Luz Marina
Intercommunal RM Social Housing Association
Brisas de Reñaca Alto
CCNA (Coordinating Body for Solidarity Housing Cerro Navia)
Committee of the Substantially Affected, El Pinar III
Committee of the Substantially Affected, Future Hope of La Reina
Committee of the Arrived, New Hope
Committee for Security Cantares
Committee of Housing Franklin Section 2
Committee of Housing Lumi Videla
Committee of Housing Memory and Rights
Committee of Housing New Santa Emilia
Committee of Housing Our Dreams, Our Home
Committee of Housing Heritage Santiago
Committee of Housing For a Multicolor Santiago
Committee of Housing I Want My House
Committee of Housing Rukawe Pelancura (Community Camp of Los Conquistadores)
Committee of Housing Santiago Historical
Committee of Housing Suyai
Committee of Housing Fighting for Our Dreams from Talagante
Grez León Housing Committee
Social Housing Committee Barrio Franklin Section 3
Committee Wake-up Barnechea
Committee Érika Martínez
Committee Family Pachamama
Committee Orlando Millas
Committee for Housing Women Heads of House in Santiago
Committee United Neighbors
Coordinator Committee of the Affected San Ramón
Coordinator Conchalí North Autonomous
Coordinator of Affected in Huechuraba
Coordinator of Housing Committees in Santiago Centro (CoCoViSan)
Coordinator of Housing Cerro Navia Solidarity
Coordinator Strength and Union Puente Alto
Metropolitan National Coordinating Body of Residents
Defenders of Housing and Good Living
People of the Earth CTA
Neighborhood Council 145-B Rebuilding Placilla Oriente (Placilla de Peñuelas, Valparaíso)
Neighborhood Council N°30 Thompson
Neighborhood Council Villa Ayquina, Sector Desco
Kimenche
Los Robles United
Barrancas Movement
Organized Residents Movement (MPO)
Movement of Organized Residents in Struggle (MPL-Chile)
Sustainable Movement
National Housing Sustainable Movement
Orlando Millas 2
Committee of Housing Pachamama
Committee of Housing Strength Lo Hermida
Pintana Solidarity
For the Right to Live in Peace
San Alfonso Santiago
Communal Union of Housing Committees of Macul
Union of Arrived Gladys Marín
Union of Arrived Our House Our Right
United Voices
We Tripan Antu

You can read the full text below: