Guachupita Catastrophe: A member of the UN body councilor proposes social policies of accommodation
editorial staff
08/09/2008 08:08
29/08/2008
El Nuevo Diario, Dominican Republic, Pedro Franco
The country is dismayed at the eight victims of the tragedy that happened in the district in the north called Guachupita Distrito Nacional, including six children, buried under their houses destroyed because of the storms that occurred for the passage of Hurricane Gustav.
Studies demonstrate that, in the country, 75% of the homes are built by people themselves (self-production or production of social housing), which installs also part of infrastructure and community services. 44% of these houses are precarious and improvement, why tragedies happen like that recently happened in Gualey, where about 8 people have died due to collapse of houses due to the abundant rain. With an investment of less than 50% of that granted by the Dominican State to help banks failed in 2002-2004, you can resolve the precarious situation of those dwellings that cause disasters like this, the lack of titration of a large majority of families who have built on private land or state and plan for future households.
communication is issued by Pedro Franco, a member designated by the UN as part of the 'UN-HABITAT's Advisory Group on Forced Evictions (UN-AGFE), an organization assisting the displaced, who proposed the Dominican State to implement the social welfare policies housing and land, making it possible to complete the resettlement of communities located in dangerous places, following and respecting what is required by Article 11.1 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, General Comments and IV and VII Committee on the Rights specified in the Covenant.
He also said that a study conducted by the International Alliance of Inhabitants in 2007 on the feasibility of establishing a land fund and Accommodations in the Dominican Republic and Peru has revealed important information and came to interesting conclusions, as follows:
With sustained investment for 10 years at 4.4% of GDP can solve the housing deficit which currently involves more than 800 thousand housing units; poor households, the situation that are home to 40% of households paying rent, and what is more important, enabling millions of families living in 'uncertainty, are victims of forced evictions.
The study indicates that the State should not make this entire 4.4%, much less give it to families, although he admits that given the state of misery there would be a number of recipients that should receive some sort of subsidy, the which is estimated to not exceed 10%.
show that the sector of social production of housing (informal producers) are who builds the most homes in the country, considering that banks and real estate produce only 5% of the dwellings.
The social welfare policy can not be limited to real estate
member of 'A-AGFE argues that, for the first time in his speech last August 16, the President of the Republic Dr. Leonel Fernández has included among the housing social policies necessary for the development and modernization of the country. "The house, which is a key asset for the human being from the moment of his birth, was notably absent in the speeches of political parties and presidents, including those of President Fernandez, in his past admissions to events and international summits, "the statement said.
also claims that it is necessary that the state investment housing is intended to stimulate the production of social housing, which produces 75 to 100 dwellings, such incentives would lower the threshold of 44% of precarious housing, create housing safe for the new families, and the territory under the new families who live in insecurity, a situation which today generates a lot of forced evictions, and the international level very bad image of the country, denoting little respect for the rights of the humble people.
Initiatives to be an example
It should be noted that "in the last ten years in the country have developed a series of community initiatives supported by non-governmental institutions such as Ciudad Alternativa, Centro y Montalvo CEDAIL network and various international organizations such as the Habitat International Coalition (HIC ) and the International Alliance of Inhabitants (IAI). You must know that the state and enhance these initiatives and proposals, since these are actually pilot experimental models, where it is possible to see the prospects of implementation of social policies of housing and land, necessary for the country ".
Among the initiatives created by the community, reports the following:
Proposal Plan prepared by
CIGU Ciudad Alternativa, a solution for families located on the banks of the rivers Ozama and Isabela. Proposed Housing Law and the RED URBAN POPULAR COOPHABITAT, which also creates a Ministry of Housing, Habitat y Asentamientos Humanos, provides for the creation of a national fund similar to what exists in Uruguay since 1968 and that would ensure the 'investment in social housing, access to land and titling of the dwelling to the large population that is living with uncertainty and surprise.
Create a framework for the cooperative of Housing as required by the laws of Mexico and Uruguay to name a few, which serves to channel the application of credit and government subsidy, so that beneficiary households can not make a trade like this before, but that the property is a good family and at the same time, a cooperative ownership, that we can not sell, rent or trade, but that it represents a final settlement for the family, his descendants or ancestors.
Redirect the objective of the National Housing Bank which should be directed to housing and the Territory. The current definition of "bank for housing and production" does not convey clearly that the purpose of the public sector is the transcendence and the urgency of social policies on housing.
The birth of the Cooperative of the Social Production of Housing, COOPHABITAT, the first in the country to promote the model of the housing projects of mutual aid, whereby the community contribute with their labor, with credits and grants have a combined housing project and whose housing may not be sold, leased or sublet, which is a permanent solution for families.
The first housing project of this kind is being made in the area of \u200b\u200bVilla Esfuerzo, in the municipality of Santo Domingo East, where 77 families were evicted from immobility Esperilla Land owned by households Porcella, Elmuesí and others, from their lands which had been delivered by the CEA in 1997 when the Law of Capitalization.
dell'AGFE A UN mission, headed by the same global coordinator, Mr. Yves Cabannes, who was at home when the evacuation took place in these families. He opened a dialogue between the institutions of the State (Executive, Municipalities, Chamber of Deputies), civil society, community and family coming Porcella resettlement agreement.
The non fulfillment of these agreements by the Porcelli family, headed by Mr. Enrique and Pedro Elmuesí Porcella, who handed the titles of land, and the State which does not assign the necessary funds, meant that the community has been organized in COOPHABITAT and has begun the process of training and preparation for work, getting the Department of the Uruguayan Federation of Cooperatives for Mutual Aid, a pioneer of this model on the continent, the Swedish Cooperative Centre and the International Alliance of population, namely those who have moved to first to begin the work.
The private sector should contribute to the solution
The constraint of the traditional large private capital with the State not only allowed him to take possession of the largest and best land in the country, but also to create situations that today's crisis highlights the inability to provide public a solution.
Nevertheless, the possession of the land is a real bottleneck in solving the housing problem. What is most evident is the situation that keeps the family close with the residents of the area north of the National District, unable to improve their precarious homes, estimated to represent more than 70% of the inhabitants of the National District and the province. If we go to the South region, including in the area between San Cristobal and the border to have some say the securities of the territory, while tourist areas such as community of Juan Vicente (Samana), Verona (Higuey), Juan Dolio (San Pedro de Macorís ), Boca Chica (Santo Domingo) are in addition to tens of thousands of cases throughout the country.
can not be a solution to this problem without a political state and a share of well-defined corporate social responsibility who, for various reasons are the owners of the bonds of the territory where most families have built their homes.
The statement of Mr. Frank concludes: "Today the country is appalled at this state of mind and also invades the daily lives of government officials at all levels. But the most important thing is that these officials have the will power to make decisions necessary after something as painful as the deaths referred to convert it into energy and social policies such as those listed, an action that would give security and guarantees of life, land and decent housing to the national majority. "
0 comments:
Post a Comment