“Housing policy is fundamental for social equality," Uruguay’s Minister of Housing and Territorial Planning, Tamara Paseyro Marin, said during the session titled “A New Deal for Housing Finance” held within the framework of WUF13, APA-Economics reports.
The minister stated that housing policy should not be limited only to increasing construction and residential areas. According to her, the housing issue is directly linked to the integration of communities, urban planning, and people’s access to opportunities.
Tamara Paseyro Marin noted that merely reducing the housing shortage statistically does not fully solve the problem: “We may reduce the housing shortage on paper, but when this is done without proper planning, it creates social isolation and disconnection.”
She emphasized that Uruguay builds its policy in this field on three main directions: land and its location, state financing, and institutional capacities.
According to the minister, housing policy is not a goal in itself, but a social mechanism that ensures other rights and opportunities: “This is a fundamental right that enables people to exercise other rights.”
Tamara Paseyro Marin also stressed the importance of involving communities in the decision-making process. She noted that in Uruguay, technical groups, construction companies, and local communities work together in neighborhood development projects.
