Antofagasta Governor to appeal to Comptroller over housing cuts

Ricardo Díaz, the regional governor of Antofagasta, announced plans to appeal to the Comptroller General of the Republic following a significant reduction in planned housing construction. The dispute involves the Housing and Urbanism Service (SERVIU) and the ‘Más Viviendas, Mejor Región, Antofagasta 2023-2028’ agreement.

The original housing transfer agreement was intended to finance 8,733 housing solutions through 42 initiatives, utilizing both regional and sectoral investments. However, SERVIU recently reported that the execution capacity has been drastically reduced to only 3,268 homes, leaving approximately 5,000 families without the housing previously guaranteed by the convention.

Governor Díaz criticized the decision, describing it as a “balde de agua fría” (cold shower). He also expressed concern regarding a tender for 1,208 housing solutions that was reportedly awarded without notifying the Regional Government, as required by the existing agreement.