On Monday, June 23, the Italian Ambassador to El Salvador, Paolo Emanuele Rozo Sordini, and the Minister of Housing of El Salvador, Michelle Sol, handed over the keys to new apartments to 40 families in the San Esteban neighborhood, located in the Historic Center of San Salvador.
This is one of the housing complexes built as part of the project “Socioeconomic and Cultural Revitalization of the Historic Center of San Salvador and Its Residential Function through the Cooperative Movement,” implemented by the Ministry of Housing of El Salvador and funded by the Italian Government through the Italian Embassy in San Salvador and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
The project aims to improve the availability of decent and safe social housing by constructing new buildings on public land, using the housing cooperative model.
“Access to adequate housing is not just a dream; it is a right recognized internationally, and we are proud to contribute, together with you, to making it a reality in El Salvador,” said Ambassador Rozo Sordini.
The residents of the inaugurated apartments belong to the cooperative ACOV-UVD, which brings together low-income and vulnerable families, such as single mothers and elderly people. The cooperative members themselves actively participated in the planning and construction process of the apartments, receiving training in various fields and strengthening the sense of commitment and solidarity within the community.
The ACOV-UVD cooperative project includes 40 apartments distributed across three four-story buildings, three commercial premises, a multifunctional hall, a green area, a potable water system, and a cistern.
“Seventy percent of the members of the ACOV-UVD cooperative are women. This figure reflects our commitment to ensuring their access to decent housing and promoting their participation in the workforce through acquiring skilled labor competencies,” stated the Minister of Housing, Michelle Sol.
The commercial value of each apartment is estimated at approximately $60,000, but low-income families will pay between 30% and 40% of the value with differentiated monthly fees based on income, ranging from $60 to $80 over about 20 years.
“Thanks to the Governments of Italy and El Salvador for the support. We are happy to provide a new home for our children and satisfied with the work we did with our own hands,” commented Nataly Verónica Cáceres, representative of the ACOV-UVD cooperative.
