Fundación Pro Vivienda Social

Fundación Pro Vivienda Social ( FPVS ) is an Argentine non-governmental organization, which has made the improvement of housing and living conditions in low-income areas with high poverty problems to the task. It was founded by a group of business men who deal with social values ​​, solidarity and social responsibility, in 1992. Your projects are not profit-oriented.

Based in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, the projects of the organization focus on the northwestern area of Greater Buenos Aires. Currently there are projects in the districts of José C. Paz, Malvinas Argentinas, Merlo, Moreno and San Miguel.

The area has about 1,650,000 people ( as of 2001), 64 % of those living below the poverty line in Argentina. In general, there is a lack of urban infrastructure ( sidewalks, paved roads, drainage ) and the residents have little access to utilities ( gas, water, electricity). Experiences have shown that there is a correlation between the high level of health problems and poor living conditions.

Although there is a high demand for products and services, but in the area there is a shortage of companies that do business as investments are associated with high risks. Likewise, it is difficult for most families to purchase credits in formal markets. As a result, it is hardly possible for these individuals to improve their quality of life. The organization is trying to improve in this regard the discrepancy between supply and demand in the poor areas. This is done based on transparent administrative instruments that reduce the risks. Microfinance enable the local population's access to utilities and infrastructure.

• 2.1 Local Development
• 2.2 Water Network
• 2.3 Training and Education
• 2.4 Program " Formal property"

Current Projects

Microcredit project " El Solidarios "

The micro- credit project " El Solidario " applies low-income individuals who were excluded due to " high risk " by the formal credit market. Microcredit enable them to improve their homes to make. The project is to exhibit groups of families a loan at comparatively low interest rates. This reinforces the sense of solidarity between the families and the opportunity to improve their standard of living. To date, the Solidarios project has more than 8500 families give a loan and thus contributed to improvements to the infrastructure and living conditions.

Integral gas connection

The gas project of the organization was the result of a study carried out in 1999 on the basic needs of the families of Moreno, Buenos Aires, entwickelt.Vielen these residents lacks a gas connection and they are dependent on propane gas cylinders for cooking and heating. The use of these cylinders is not only inconvenient but also causes significantly higher costs as an integral gas connection.

Since 2000, the organization is working together with the local community associations to drive the construction of gas pipelines. This will be done through the provision of loans for the construction costs of the infrastructure. The project is funded by a trusteeship of FONCAP and the World Bank and managed by the organization Pro Vivienda Social using the local institutions. The outputs can then by the savings generated by the change of the gas system, will be settled.

With an investment of 1,720,000 U.S. dollars, the project already was able to help 3,600 families. This was done by the construction of a 70,000 -meter external gas line and a 2,600 -meter -house connection. The construction was completed in a period of four years. The savings resulting from the substitution be four times the preceding cost. Thus, the annual expenditure of the people instead of $ 200 now amount to 45 U.S. dollars. After the cost of the initial investment has been paid to the impact of the savings made ​​directly in the budget of the families felt. According to estimates, real income has risen through the reserves by seven percent. The project also has a significant impact on health and well -being of the participants, since a reduction of respiratory diseases and improve the quality of cooked food could be achieved by the new infrastructure.

Improvement of bathroom and kitchen

The Project Improvement of bathrooms and kitchens is the result of an alliance with the organization FPVS Ferrum FV, the leading supplier of kitchens and baths equipment. This partnership with the private sector, the model is an integrative company and serves the poor communities to provide materials and technical assistance to enable an improvement in the bathrooms and kitchens as well as laundry facilities with a new water access.

Neighborhood Observatory and the development of an information

The initiative for the development of an information center began in 2006 with the help of the local University Torcuato Di Tella and enabled the organization FPVS the impact of their projects on socio-economic factors such as housing, work, health, education, income, consumption, nutrition, safety measures, social and to examine general living conditions. The data collected will help the priorities of the residents to learn and to generate useful information about the communities for the private and the public sector. It can also serve the organization to identify successful strategies that could be useful and applicable in other places.

Local Development

The project " Local development " will be implemented in the peripheral area, " Cruce Derqui " in the northeast of the city of Buenos Aires. The primary goal is to improve the quality of local infrastructure and the availability of public services. Since the demographic characteristics resemble those of other needy areas in Buenos Aires, the organization hopes FPVS with the project in Cruce Derqui to create a local development model, which can be used as a model for project development in other areas.

Water Network

The project for the creation of a Water Network aimed at the lack of clean drinking water and adequate sanitation to areas of the second belt of Buenos Aires. The organization FPVS plans to expand and improve the water infrastructure, and the sewer network in 5.Bezirk ( with a pilot project consisting of 750 apartments). The intention is that this project will be replicated in similar areas. It is hoped that a long-term good health of the residents can be guaranteed through the improved sanitation. The project also aims to the capacity of the local community, the problems to work together and find a common solution.

The main components of the project are ( 1) to observe the inter-sectoral funding for the construction of the network for water treatment, (2 ) training programs for leaders of groups on issues of environment and sustainability, and (3 ) the development of a monitoring system, the impact of programs and the project to be repeated if necessary in other areas. The project is very innovative in that it aims to solve the common problems in the articulation of demand and supply in such a way that simultaneously ensures sustainability of the program in the long run.

Traditionally, attention is paid little attention to the economic and social reality of the recipient of services in water projects. Most projects have also failed to strengthen the sense of community it the community during the development process. Therefore, many efforts have proved to be of little lasting. This project will, however, developed in close cooperation with the community.

Another innovative aspect of the project lies in the potential use of Certified Emission Reduction credits. Studies suggest that the improvements in wastewater treatment project in the region Alem can lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The organization FPVS thus attempts to finance the financing of the project through the sale of carbon credits (Certified Emission Reduction credits) on the mechanism for clean development. This represents not only an important source of financing, but also benefits the local environment.

Training and Education

The intent of this project is to create a forum in which the local development processes that realizes the organization FPVS, organized and disseminated. To this end, a training and education center for municipal manager arise in which the various resources are to be brought together. Thus, the center can be used to address the problems of the community in a collaborative manner to discuss and analyze. The organization FPVS hopes to integrate and implement already existing resources and thus to provide the necessary drive social developments.

Program " Formal property"

Unfortunately, many poor people in Buenos Aires are not in a position to exercise their property rights. This not only leads to problems in a land transfer but also prevents certain collateral. Nearly 70 percent of poor families in the Greater Buenos Aires lacks legal legal titles for their homes, as in paying the mortgage is not all necessary records and documents were issued. The organizations that are responsible for these bureaucratic issues, have stopped work for various reasons or have gone bankrupt.

The project was developed to help stakeholders in the enforcement of their rights (Law 24.374 ). A legal possession of status is those people allows who can prove for 3 years ( before 1992) public, peaceful and continuous operation of a residence. You will then be by official law that a legal title awarded possession. The law allows the families of their right to property implement. The organization FPVS is working to raise awareness of this right and to also provide support in completing the necessary documentation.

Effects

With the implementation of the first natural gas project, the homes of nearly 3,000 families in Moreno ( Greater Buenos Aires ) could be equipped with a gas connection. Of these families already in 1000 the repayment of the Trust Fund have been completed. The community members who served in the project as director and promoters, have established a formal public service cooperative to independently continue the improvements in the neighborhood. The perception of the collaborating in this project gas company Gas Natural BAN respect to the poorest sectors has changed also: the customers who were previously classified as " risky ", have now become an " eligible customers ", with which the new inclusive business model be converted can.

The micro-credit program to improve houses has helped 8,000 families in five years. The investment amounted to 12 million U.S. dollars.

Prices

The organization FPVS has been awarded for her work with numerous awards. Among others, the following: - Development Marketplace award from the World Bank in 2002 - Banking on Social Change Award from the organization Ashoka in 2008 - Microfinance, Innovation, and Sustainability Award of the Giordano Dell'Amore Foundation in 2009

Fundraising

The FPVS receives financial support from different actors and organizations, among other things, ( 1) local and international philanthropists, (2) public funds to support specific projects, (3) loans at low interest rates of banks, the socially oriented investments, (4 ) donations from individuals and (5) internal resources.

In addition FPVS has alliances with private companies, the technical expertise and products are, their prices are lower than those of the market and offer services as well as financial support. Some of the key supporters in the private sector are Gas Natural BAN, FV Ferrum, the Ford Foundation, the Inter - American Foundation, and the Bank Supervielle.

Apart from business sponsors, the organization also receives substantial support from private individuals. The FPVS accepts online donations and in-kind donations such as office equipment.

Volunteer program

FPVS has a well-established volunteer and internship program. This applies especially to foreign visitors and students in Buenos Aires, which contribute to the work of the organization through their skills. The interns work in the office, which is located in the center of the city of Buenos Aires. The working areas are institutional relationships, research, development, monitoring, systematization and transference. There are also opportunities to work in the office in Moreno. General of the volunteers and interns basic knowledge of the Spanish language are expected as well as a regular contributor for at least 3 months.