It states that high costs and loss of purchasing power limit access to
decent housing.
SANTO DOMINGO. – The president of the Dominican Association of Housing Builders and Developers (Acoprovi ), Annerys Meléndez, warned that the supply of low-cost has experienced a significant decrease, amidst a scenario in which Dominican families have increasingly less economic capacity to buy.
The business leader explained that the construction sector has experienced a decline in the last two years, affected by high interest rates , increased material costs, higher labor costs, and persistent delays in permitting processes.
He noted that housing represents "almost 70% of all construction in the country," so any slowdown in this sector directly impacts thousands of families seeking access to decent housing.
The president of the construction industry association stated that the most affected segment is affordable housing. "I would venture to say that this has decreased," she said in an interview on the program Telematutino 11, referring to the drop in the number of projects and units within the low-cost range.
Meléndez pointed out that, although the current price ceiling for low-cost housing is RD$5.5 million, current market conditions are making it increasingly difficult for buyers to qualify. He indicated that families' economic capacity
Added to this is the challenge of saving for a down payment. “It’s very difficult for Dominicans to, as we say colloquially, come together with that down payment,” he stated, adding that many families have to “pay rent, save, and rent at the same time,” which further complicates the process.
Meléndez argued that without state support , access becomes nearly impossible, especially for those earning one or two minimum wages. “It’s difficult to access housing without a subsidy when the monthly payment is so low,” he said.
Main challenges
In his analysis, Meléndez pointed out that current savings programs do not allow people to cover the amount required to start the purchase, leaving thousands of families out of the formal housing market.
He explained that inflation in goods and services directly impacts the family budget, reducing the margin available for savings and affecting the ability to meet banking requirements.
Meléndez emphasized that no country has managed to develop a robust social housing market without government support. “There’s no way other countries could have developed a healthy market for social or low-cost housing without government subsidies,” he stressed.
Uncertainty
The businesswoman praised the integration of the “Happy Family” and “My Home” programs under the “My Home 2” initiative, highlighting that it brings greater control and transparency to the process.
However, he warned that the current subsidy allocation mechanism creates uncertainty among developers, who cannot know in advance how many of the units in a project will receive state support.
In that regard, he warned that this lack of clarity affects planning and investment. “A project designer can’t embark on building 500 homes when they don’t know if they’ll only receive subsidies for 100,” he stated.
He concluded that the country needs to strengthen support mechanisms , guarantee clear rules, and improve coordination between the State and the private sector, in order to ensure that more families can access formal housing and that developers maintain confidence to continue building.
