Costa Rica launches housing and centenarian programs in Nicoya Blue Zone

A new housing development called "Zona Azul" is under construction in Nicoya, Guanacaste. Financed with ₡8.541 billion from the Banco Hipotecario de la Vivienda (BANHVI) and supported by Grupo Mutual, the project will deliver 250 homes – 210 for regular families, 28 for large families and 12 adapted for people with disabilities – and includes sustainable features such as LED lighting, recycling spaces and tactile sidewalks. The initiative is expected to generate about 850 direct and indirect jobs and will provide infrastructure like paved streets, water, electricity and drainage, which will later be handed over to the municipality. Minister of Housing and Human Settlements Guillermo Carazo and BANHVI manager Walter Muñoz highlighted the aim of combining dignified housing with environmental standards.

At the same time, President Laura Fernández Delgado announced the "Costa Rica Centenaria" program for roughly 70 residents of the Nicoya Peninsula who are over 100 years old. Coordinated by the National Council for Older Persons, the scheme offers regular home‑visit medical care, housing assistance and social support. The first housing grant will be given to José Flores Flores, recognised as the country's oldest documented citizen, with a new home to be built nearby. The program integrates ministries of Health, Labor and Human Development and local governments to remove travel barriers for elderly care in the Blue Zone.