Fundación Pro Vivienda Social
Fundación Pro Vivienda Social (FPVS) is an Argentine non-governmental organization that has set itself the task of improving housing and living conditions in low-income areas with severe poverty problems. It was founded in 1992 by a group of businessmen who deal with social values, solidarity and social responsibility. The non-profit organization is based in the province of Buenos Aires.
The projects are limited to the north-western area of the greater Buenos Aires area. There are currently projects in the districts of José C. Paz, Malvinas Argentinas , Merlo , Moreno and San Miguel .
The area counts about 1,650,000 people (as of 2001), 64% of these live below the Argentine poverty line. In general, there is a lack of urban infrastructure (sidewalks, paved streets, drainage) and residents have little access to utilities (gas, water, electricity). Experience has shown that there is a connection between the high level of health problems and poor living conditions.
While there is a high demand for products and services, there is a shortage of companies doing business in the area as investing is risky. Likewise, it is difficult for most families to get credit in formal markets. As a result, it is hardly possible for these people to improve their quality of life. In this context, the organization tries to improve the discrepancy between supply and demand in poor areas. This is done using transparent administrative instruments that reduce the risks. Microfinance gives the local population access to utilities and infrastructure.
Current projects
Microcredit project "El Solidarios"
The microcredit project “El Solidario” is aimed at people with low incomes who have been excluded from the formal credit market due to “excessive risks”. Microcredit enables them to make improvements to their homes. The project consists in issuing loans to groups of families at comparatively low interest rates. This strengthens the feeling of solidarity between the families as well as the opportunity to improve their standard of living. To date, the Solidarios project has provided more than 8,500 families with a loan, thereby contributing to improvements in infrastructure and living conditions.
Integral gas connection
The organization's gas project was developed as a result of a 1999 study of the basic needs of the families of Moreno, Buenos Aires. Many of these residents lack a gas connection and rely on propane cylinders for cooking and heating. The use of these cylinders is not only annoying, but also causes much higher costs than an integral gas connection.
Since 2000, the organization has been working with local community associations to promote the construction of gas pipelines. This is to be done by providing loans for the construction costs of the infrastructure. The project is funded by a trust from FONCAP and the World Bank and managed by the organization Pro Vivienda Social with the help of local institutions. The expense can then be paid for by the savings generated by changing the gas system.
With an investment of US $ 1,720,000, the project helped 3,600 families. This was done through the construction of a 70,000 meter long external gas pipeline and a 2,600 meter long in-house connection. The construction was completed in a period of four years. The savings resulting from the substitution are four times the previous costs. As a result, people's annual expenses are now $ 45 instead of $ 200. After the cost of the initial investment was paid, the impact of the savings was felt immediately in the budget of the families concerned. It is estimated that the reserves have increased real income by seven percent. The project also has a significant impact on the health and well-being of those involved, as the new infrastructure has resulted in a reduction in respiratory diseases and an improvement in the quality of cooked food.
Improvement of the bathroom and kitchen
The bathroom and kitchen improvement project is the result of an alliance between the FPVS organization and Ferrum FV, the leading supplier of kitchen and bathroom equipment. This partnership with the private sector is the model of an inclusive company and serves to provide the poor communities with materials and technical support that enable an improvement of the bathrooms and kitchens as well as the washing facilities through new water access.
Neighborhood observatory and the development of an information point
The initiative for the development of an observatory started in 2006 with the help of the local University of Torcuato Di Tella , allowing the organization FPVS to evaluate the impact of its projects on socio-economic factors such as housing, occupation, health, education, income, consumption, nutrition, security measures, social and to study general living conditions. The data collections help to find out the priorities of the residents and to generate useful information about the communities for the private and public sectors. They can also be used by the organization to identify successful strategies that could also be helpful and applicable elsewhere.
Future projects
Local development
The “local development” project is 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 are similar to those of other needy areas in Buenos Aires, the organization FPVS hopes to create a local development model with the project in Cruce Derqui, which can be used as a model for project development in other areas.
Water network
The project to create a water network aims to address the shortage of clean drinking water and adequate sanitation in the areas of the second belt of Buenos Aires. The FPVS organization plans to expand and improve the water infrastructure and the sewer network in the 5th district (with a pilot project consisting of approx. 750 apartments). The intention is for this project to be replicated in similar areas. It is hoped that the improved sanitation will guarantee good long-term health for the residents. The project also aims at the capacity of the local community to work together on problems and to find a common solution.
The main components of the project are (1) the intersectoral financing for the construction of the network for water treatment, (2) training programs for leaders of groups on environmental and sustainability issues and (3) the development of a monitoring system to observe the effects of the programs and to repeat the project in other areas if necessary. The project is very innovative as it aims to solve the common problems in the articulation of supply and demand in such a way that at the same time ensures sustainability of the program in the long term.
Traditionally, in water projects insufficient attention is paid to the economic and social reality of the recipients of the services. Most of the projects also failed to strengthen the community's sense of community during the development process. Therefore, many efforts have proven to be unsustainable. This project, however, is being 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 in the project in the Alem region can lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The organization FPVS is trying to finance the project through the sale of emission certificates ( Certified Emission Reduction credits) through the mechanism for environmentally compatible development. Not only is this an important source of funding, it also benefits the local environment.
Training and education
The intention of this project is to create a forum in which the local development processes implemented by the FPVS organization are organized and disseminated. For this purpose, a training and education center for community leaders is to be built in which the various resources are to be brought together. Thus the center can serve to thematize, discuss and analyze the problems of the community in a collaborative way. The FPVS organization hopes to be able to integrate and implement existing resources and thus provide impetus for the necessary social developments.
Formal Ownership Program
Almost 70 percent of poor families in the greater Buenos Aires area lack legally legal titles for their homes because not all of the necessary deeds and documents were issued when paying the mortgage. The organizations in charge of these bureaucratic matters have ceased operations or have gone bankrupt for various reasons.
The project was developed to help those affected to enforce their rights (Law 24,374). A legal possession status is made possible for those persons who can prove public, peaceful and continuous operation of a place of residence for 3 years (before 1992). You will then be awarded a legal title by official jurisdiction. The law allows families to exercise their right to property. The organization FPVS will work to increase awareness of this right and also to provide support in filling out the required documents.
Effects
With the implementation of the first natural gas project, the houses of almost 3,000 families in Moreno (Greater Buenos Aires) were equipped with a gas connection. Of these families, 1,000 have already completed the trust fund repayment. The community members who acted as leaders and promoters on the project have set up a formal public service cooperative to independently continue the improvements in the neighborhood. The perception of the gas company Gas Natural BAN collaborating in this project with regard to the poorest sectors has also changed: the customers who were previously classified as “high-risk” have now become “capable customers” with whom the new inclusive business model is being transformed can.
The Home Improvement Microloan Program has helped 8,000 families in five years. The investment was $ 12 million.
Prices
The organization has already received numerous awards for its work. Among others with the following:
- Development Marketplace Award from the World Bank in 2002
- Banking on Social Change Award from the Ashoka organization in 2008
- Microfinance, Innovation, and Sustainability Award from the Giordano Dell'Amore Foundation in 2009
Fundraising
The organization receives financial support from various actors and organizations, including (1) local and international philanthropists, (2) public funds to support specific projects, (3) low-interest loans from banks that make socially oriented investments, (4 ) Donations from private individuals and (5) internal resources.
In addition, FPVS has alliances with private companies that provide technical expertise and products that are priced below the market and offer services and financial support. Some of the key supporters in the private sector are Gas Natural BAN, Ferrum FV, the Ford Foundation , the Inter-American Foundation, and the Supervielle Bank.
In addition to economic sponsors, the organization also receives considerable support from private individuals. The FPVS accepts online monetary donations as well as donations in kind such as office equipment.
Volunteer program
FPVS has a well-established volunteer and internship program. This applies above all to the foreign guests and students in Buenos Aires, who contribute to the work in the organization through their skills. The interns work in the office, which is located in the center of the city of Buenos Aires. The work areas are institutional relations, research, development, monitoring, systematisation and transfer. There are also opportunities to work in the Moreno office. In general, the volunteers and interns are expected to have a basic knowledge of the Spanish language and to work regularly for at least 3 months.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ NextBillion.net ( Memento of the original from June 21, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ FPVS website
- ↑ FPVS Facebook page
- ↑ UN Global Compact ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Impact Alliane ( Memento of the original from July 16, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ World Bank Website Announcement of Winners
- ↑ Changemakers.com ( Memento of the original from October 5, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ WorldChanging.com ( Memento of the original from September 4, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Giordano Dell'Amore Foundation ( Memento of the original of June 13, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ FPVS website
- ↑ US Embassy in Argentina ( Memento of the original from May 27, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ FPVS website
- ↑ FPVS website
