Chilean Minister launches Plan Socavones for Alto Hospicio housing crisis

Chilean Minister of Housing and Urbanism, Iván Poduje, has announced the activation of ‘Plan Socavones’ to address a housing emergency in Alto Hospicio, Tarapacá. Due to severe damage caused by saline soil, the government is reallocating funds, reducing the target for new housing projects from 10,000 to 7,458 to prioritize the repair and management of 13,405 affected properties.

The technical assessment identifies 8,760 social condominium apartments and 4,705 exempt homes requiring attention. The plan includes 12,042 improvements, 228 structural repairs, 1,101 reconstructions, and 94 relocations. Approximately 1,000 homes are expected to require demolition.

Minister Poduje expects to present a detailed schedule including milestones, deadlines, and costs within two to three weeks. The initiative aims to reduce the number of families forced to rely on rental subsidies due to uninhabitable conditions caused by sinkholes.