Presidential Candidates and Their Proposals for the Housing Sector

On this occasion, we will focus on the proposals that Rodolfo Hernández and Gustavo Petro have for the housing sector. It is important to highlight that both candidates agree on the need to invest in national infrastructure and improve public services such as water supply and sewer systems, all with the aim of benefiting housing projects across the country.

Proposals by Candidate Rodolfo Hernández for the Housing Sector

With urban progress in mind, he proposes the design of decent housing, capable of meeting basic needs on a 72 m² lot, with the possibility of progressive expansion up to 126 m² in order to integrate new families under one roof. This initiative also seeks to build housing in central areas, allowing families easier access to their workplaces and educational centers, even though land costs may be higher.

He also aims to design an incentive plan for savings and housing investment, strengthening access to formal housing across all population segments, with special attention to rural areas.

Additionally, he proposes the implementation of a national rural housing program that includes the development of comprehensive rural villages with full residential services. This project would begin on the Pacific coast and continue along the Atlantic coast before expanding to other regions of the country. These villages would include solar panels, septic systems, and Wellness Collection Centers providing health and education services.

Family homes would have a minimum area of 60 m² and would be built using prefabricated structures to generate employment through “self-construction.” This initiative aims to prevent migration to cities and encourage people to return to rural living.

Proposals by Candidate Gustavo Petro for the Housing Sector

To promote decent housing, he will encourage self-managed, associative, and self-construction processes with a territorial approach and technical assistance, enabling access to housing through community organizations, eliminating the requirement of previously owning land. He also seeks to strengthen local institutions to advance resettlement programs, land titling, and housing and neighborhood improvement, as well as comprehensive and sustainable interventions. The State will define mechanisms requiring municipalities to establish public land banks.

Within housing purchase options, he proposes the democratization of credit, allowing access to housing through special credit lines complemented by subsidies for purchasing apartments for sale in Medellín and other cities across the country, as well as for the improvement of low-income housing.