Some 90 per cent of Chileans live in cities and thanks to better access to jobs, basic infrastructure and community services, they have seen improvements in their quality of life. However, significant inequalities persist – among them, poverty, insecurity and overcrowding, according to a statement from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
To address these issues, UNDP is working with Chile’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to facilitate “rational urban planning and management”. In this way, says UNDP, cities can become “dynamic centres of innovation that drive positive changes in people's daily lives”.
In accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 11, the alliance aims to re-position the state as the lead in urban development, guaranteeing the right to adequate housing for the entire population. It also aims to improve planning and governance, as well as policies, regulatory frameworks and governance models that favour coordination and decentralization.
In particular, the partnership will address the growth in the number of informal settlements in Chilean cities, which have developed due to the rise in real estate prices and increases in demand. There will be “a special focus on the Housing Emergency Plan, which will increase decent housing and deliver 260,000 homes during President Gabriel Boric’s administration”, according to UNDP.
