Colombia’s Ministry of Housing produces a weekly news program, and this week’s edition discusses the Affordable Housing Priority plan. The segment discusses the plan’s initial approval in Congress, and how the plan will benefit Colombia’s poorest families.
VIDEOAS/COA Online examines Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos’ efforts to build programs that target extreme poverty, investing in wide-ranging initiatives for the poorest 10 percent of the population. Launched last year, Red Unidos (United Network) includes public-private partnerships for job training, cash-transfer programs modeled after similar initiatives in Brazil and Mexico, and one-on-one meetings with government representatives who examine the needs of each family. Santos announced the Affordable Housing Priority plan in April, which aims to build 100,000 homes for those living in extreme poverty. Social inclusion initiatives are growing in Colombia, as poverty levels are falling.
The Andean country made strides in reducing inequality over the past decade. Colombia ranked fifth in Americas Quarterly’s social inclusion index released last month, which measures countries in Latin America by progress in social rights, civil liberties, and access to labor markets, among other factors. According to the index, Colombia spends nearly 13 percent of GDP on social programs—more than Mexico or Peru, which also have extensive initiatives. Overall poverty levels in Colombia has been falling over the past decade, dropping from 56 percent in 2002 to 34.1 percent last year.
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