Microcredits and Popular Habitat: experiences of social organization and Access to credit in Argentina (2014-2018)

MÉNDEZ, FLORENCIA MAGDALENA; GARCÍA ARIEL; TOSCANI, MA. DE LA PAZ; ROSA PAULA; MOTTA, MARTÍN

Hamburgo

Workshop; Critical Perspectives on Housing Microfinance; 2018

HafenCity Universidad

Achieving adequate housing is a constant1 issue in Argentina. Part of this issue is connected to the qualitative deficit generated by the already built houses and the scarce economic resources that families have to solve on their own2, the problems related to the living conditions of their houses (general state and installation conditions, tenancy security, infrastructure and neighbourhood equipment, accessibility, etcetera). Even though different policies and programs4 have been implemented, the State participation is still poor and not continuous, which is becoming a persistent phenomenon. In this context, social organizations take a protagonist role to act as promoters and a driving force for an inclusive social habitat, close to families and to their real needs.This article is intended to go into the way the social organization Madre Tierra (Mother Earth) works -considered as a pioneer and model as regards the improvement of houses belonging to families of low economic resources. Something worth mentioning is that they employ money coming from both the state and the private sector in order to build a neighbourhood source of finance. In this way, through the implementation of microcredits, administrated by the beneficiary communities themselves, housing is improved (and in some cases, the neighbourhood infrastructure), a social organization process is fostered and the local economy is boosted. These humanitarian rotative funds allow the initial credit fund to expand and multiply and so more families can have access to it. Specifically, our intention is to make the Madre Tierra?s process known, its main results, the obstacles it has to face, the actors that take part during the process, the financing to which it has access and its relationship to the State.The article is the result of an investigation carried out through two projects of technological vinculation funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation of Argentina. The projects are integrated by architects and social workers from the Civil Association Madre Tierra and by the Group of Regional Economies (Grupo de Economías Regionales) of the CEUR CONICET, formed by and architect, a social worker, a geographer, an economist and a sociologist. In both projects, a participative job was carried out, which allowed the implementation of microcredits for the improvement of housing. We are going to describe and analyze these experiences situated in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires during the period 2014-2018. In particular, this article looks forward to getting to know the complexities and learning acquired during the associated management of microcredits for the building of the popular habitat.