The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Improving living conditions in Argentina through social housing
Under-Secretary-General Grete Faremo conducts official visit to discuss infrastructure and improving living conditions.
The three-day visit includes discussions with a number of senior officials from the Government of Argentina, covering topics including national infrastructure and procurement. Gender considerations are also due to be addressed.
“With our experience in infrastructure across the region, we believe that we can bring great benefits to the Government and the people they represent,” stated Ms. Faremo. She added: “We are committed to supporting the Government as it strives to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”
In addition, Ms. Faremo will visit an existing programme where UNOPS is supporting the Government with improving living conditions for thousands of people across Argentina.
The social housing project, implemented by UNOPS in partnership with Argentina’s Ministry of Interior, Public Works and Housing, is seeking to tackle urban poverty, and promote social and economic inclusion, by providing suitable housing to improve living conditions in vulnerable areas.
“We work directly with families to ensure that homes not only meet their individual needs now, but that they are sustainable in the long term,” added Giuseppe Mancinelli, Director of UNOPS in Argentina, who accompanied Ms. Faremo during the visit.
To date, the programme has been implemented in 17 communities across three Argentine provinces, reaching over 7,500 people.
UNOPS is supervising the project and providing technical assistance to help ensure that housing designs are resilient and sustainable, and aligned to the needs of the people living in them.
Related information:
In Latin America and the Caribbean, almost 80 percent of the population resides in cities. Argentina is one of the most urbanized countries in the region, with 92 percent of the population living in cities. The metropolitan region of Buenos Aires alone has about 15 million inhabitants.
Around the world, as people search for new opportunities in cities, overcrowding increases – a problem seen in Argentina, which has a scarcity of affordable housing. Informal settlements often spring up as people find shelter where they can. Unfortunately, these settlements often lack connections to basic services, and pose increased health and security risks.
Through working with the Government of Argentina, UNOPS is supporting activities seeking to address these concerns
