Reflecting and Responding: Collective Actions Against the Closure of Public Habitat Policies in Argentina

HIC

HIC Latin American Members Convene in Argentina

Date: Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Location: Mutualidad de Arquitectura, Virrey Cevallos 250, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

On 28 May, Members of HIC Latinoamerica gathered in Buenos Aires at the Mutualidad de Arquitectura to reflect collectively on the profound territorial impacts arising from the recent closure of Argentina’s National Policy on Public Works, Land, Housing, Habitat, Social Action, Development, Social Economy, and Gender. This session also served as a platform to plan joint actions amid this challenging political and social context.

The meeting included the special participation of Lorena Zárate from the Global Platform for the Right to the City, who provided insightful reflections on Land Trusts as a vital form of resistance against the encroachment of the real estate market and the forced displacement of popular communities from their territories.

Amidst mates, coffee, and biscuits to face the first cold of the year, participants engaged in a critical analysis of the current political, economic, and cultural situation under the national government. They collectively denounced the growing social exclusion policies that deeply affect grassroots communities—particularly those that rely on daily subsistence.

Key concerns raised included the devastating elimination of national public policies relating to habitat, housing, microfinance, social economy, training, and social security. These cuts severely impact projects, cooperatives, mutual organizations, and social initiatives that depend on these supports to sustain community housing quotas, member enrollment, and institutional stability.

Despite these challenges, the meeting reaffirmed that collective and community strength remains a crucial tool of resistance. In recognition of the International Year of Cooperativism, attendees agreed on the need to reinvigorate collective actions and strengthen collaborative networks to continue building viable alternatives.

Significant highlights from the meeting included:

  • Recognition of the 25 years of enforcement of Law 341 on Collective Housing in the City of Buenos Aires, a fundamental achievement for social housing.

  • A proposal to meet with the City Ombudsman’s Office to evaluate the current status of the collective housing programme and explore further support for cooperatives.

  • A commitment to reinforce connections with other provinces, especially Buenos Aires Province, to develop common strategies against state abandonment of public policies.

The meeting was attended by representatives from OPHAU (Organizaciones Por el Hábitat Autogestivo Urbano), Federación Todos Juntos, MOI (Movimiento de Ocupantes e Inquilinos), Proyecto Hábitar, Hábitar Argentina, CEAPI, Fundación Vivienda y Comunidad, Federación de Tierra y Vivienda, public university researchers and educators, and the Mutualidad Arquitectura.

We sincerely thank all participants for their engagement and reaffirm our collective call for organized action, solidarity, and persistent struggle to defend the right to decent and just housing.

Call: Executive Director – Red Hábitat (Bolivia)

Call: Executive Director – Red Hábitat (Bolivia)

The Association for Urban and Rural Habitat Projects and Research – Red Hábitat, a Bolivian NGO based in La Paz, invites interested professionals to apply for the position of: EXECUTIVE [...]