This document reviews the activities of the IDB to deal with the lack of fully serviced dwellings for the entire region's population. The document considers this a case of market and government failure, which has resulted in an estimated 10 to 15 million households living in substandard dwellings.

The search for solutions to urban and social problems prompted by informal settlements is gaining importance in the development agenda of most large cities in Latin America. Nearly 60 percent of the population lives in informal, often centrally located settlements.

This paper discusses the evolution of housing conditions in urban areas of Latin America and the Caribbean from 1995 to 2006 based on data from household surveys done in 18 countries that comprise 95 percent of the urban population of the region. The results indicate that, on average, the...

Chile's housing policy is widely regarded as a success. For almost a decade, new construction has been above the level required to provide houses for new families and replace obsolete structures. This raises hopes that within the next decade all families in Chile will occupy dwellings that...

The enabling approach to housing markets promotes financing systems based on family savings, public subsidies and mortgage loans to unleash the potential of individuals and communities to produce and improve dwellings. However, the approach failed to benefit lower-income households, as they have...

The Bank expanded its housing finance activities in the 1990s, shifting its support toward sector reforms that increase the capacity of housing finance and delivery mechanisms to cater to the needs of low-income households. The present publication examines Bank experience in housing, draws...

The Bank is leading the involvement of development banks in financing urban heritage conservation projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is a new area of work for the Bank and emerged in response to requests from borrowing member governments for assistance in their efforts to preserve...