BOGOTÁ - The parliamentary delegation from Curaçao visiting Colombia has received information about the new housing strategy "Mi Casa Ya," which has been successfully implemented in the country for about nine years.
The Colombian government has elevated housing to a state level, continuously improving this project, resulting in what they claim is an extremely successful approach.
Colombian authorities explained that everything began with the idea of changing the policy from supply to demand. Previously, there was a significant problem with incomplete housing projects, partly due to corruption.
With Mi Casa Ya, there is no fixed contractor. All contractors compete, and the customer chooses the contractor based on their offerings. According to the Colombian government, this approach has significantly improved the quality of homes.
The risk for the state in this process is almost zero. It is the banks and contractors that invest more and bear the risks. This ensures that the government can trust that banks and contractors will do everything to avoid losing their money.
Furthermore, the government's guarantee instills more confidence in the banks, resulting in lower interest rates. The project received a significant boost during the COVID-19 pandemic, as construction could continue while other activities came to a standstill.
The project has a positive impact on various areas, including social and economic aspects. The Colombian government even offers additional subsidies for young people between 18 and 28 years old. Improvement points of the project were also discussed, such as the timing of subsidy provision.