The 9th National Housing Roundtable brought together representatives from various sectors of the construction industry.
SANTO DOMINGO Annerys Meléndez president of the Dominican Association of Housing Builders and Developers (Acoprovi), yesterday stressed the urgent need for stable public policies that ensure affordable financing and predictable interest rates to improve access to housing.
In delivering the opening speech at the 9th edition of the National Housing Roundtable , this time with the theme "A home for every Dominican family: policies and commitments from all," the engineer said that it is also necessary to expedite the permitting process so that projects do not get bogged down in bureaucratic procedures , but rather become homes in record time.
“And we must invest in our people, in the modernization of the workforce , in creating decent and formal jobs that promote a more modern and safe construction,” the business leader stated.
He explained that the goal of the meeting, which takes place every two years, is for the commitments generated to "be the crucible where we forge the consensus that our country needs.".
"Because, in the end, the goal that unites us is the same: that every Dominican family has a decent place to call home."
Actions to improve access to housing and modernize construction
The inauguration of the 9th National Housing Roundtable was led by the Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña , and brought together representatives of the Government, the private sector and technical organizations linked to the country's urban development.
The day's events were structured around three central themes: access to housing, decent work and technological advancement, and sustainability with competitiveness. In the first theme, Acoprovi presented proposals such as the "Interest Rate Bond" model, inspired by the Guatemalan experience, mortgages secured by guarantee funds, and policies to strengthen the rental market, aimed at reducing the national housing deficit.
The second main theme addressed formal employment and technical training in the construction sector. Initiatives such as enrolling workers in social security, technical high school diplomas in construction, the first-job program, and incentive mechanisms for mechanizing and modernizing production processes were analyzed.
Regarding sustainability , measures were proposed to expedite building permits through an "express processing" system and to strengthen the Single Window for Construction. The development of a sustainable construction guide and the strengthening of the building supply registry to optimize statistical information for the sector were also proposed.
The Minister of Housing, Habitat and Buildings (Mivhed), Carlos Bonilla, reported that the Government has delivered more than 20,000 homes and rehabilitated 57,000 homes as part of an inter-institutional housing improvement plan.
Meanwhile, Vice President Peña highlighted the importance of cooperation with the private sector to ensure the continuity of urban development projects.
The event also included the participation of the Minister of the Environment, Armando Paíno Henríquez; the Mayor of the National District, Carolina Mejía; the Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies, Dhaurellt D'Aza, construction and real estate entrepreneurs, among other officials and trade representatives.
