Venezuela’s Housing Program Achieves 96% of 2011 Construction Goal

[Peace Patriot]

Venezuela’s Housing Program Achieves 96% of 2011 Construction Goal

By EWAN ROBERTSON - VENEZUELANALYSIS.COM

Mérida, 5th January 2012 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – 144,061 homes were constructed during 2011 as part of the Venezuelan government’s mass house building program, the Great Housing Mission (GMV), representing 96% of the 150,000 construction goal for that year.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced the figures during an event in Barinas State in the South-West of Venezuela last Saturday, where 4,537 homes were handed over to families.

(SNIP)

The GMV was launched in April 2011 to address Venezuelan’s long-term shortage of decent affordable housing. Following a register of those requiring a new house completed in October 2011, the program’s aim is to construct 2.7 million homes by 2019.

The construction aim for 2011 was 150,000 new homes. For 2012 it is 200,000, and then 300,000 each year thereafter.

(MORE)

http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/6723

----------------------

Just wanted to provide an update on the Chavez government's big housing construction project because you won't hear a word about it in the Corporate Press. The rightwing opposition tried to kill this program--or the part of it that addresses the housing needs of thousands of displaced people due to catastrophic floods last year. Chavez's elected supporters in the National Assembly got around that planned rightwing blockade--in a clever legislative maneuver reminiscent of some of things LBJ did, to get his anti-poverty and civil rights legislation through Congress. They created last minute legislation to give Chavez 18 months of monetary and legal power to build the houses and did it before the obstructive rightwing elements (who had won some seats in the National Assembly) were seated. The opposition cried "foul!" (the dirtbags) but the people without homes won. Chavez did exactly what he said he was going to do with these "powers of decree": build homes for the homeless and for shanty dwellers.

The rightwing obstructionists also very much reminded me of the rightwing obstructionists during the New Deal here, and, of course, of the Diebold Congress now. They are into wrecking government itself as well as looting the public coffers and looting and abandoning the poor. And Chavez very much reminds me of FDR (and not so much LBJ, who fatally gave the war profiteers what they wanted). Chavez's government favors the poor majority that elected and re-elected him, and it is providing the proper balance in society that is so lacking here, where our political leaders serve or toady to the rich and powerful, creating an imbalance--in income, opportunity and the common good--that is so severe that it may destroy us altogether. A successful society NEEDS the government to protect the poor or the society will topple over from the heavy weight of rich greedbags and plunderers.

[Bacchus4.0]

1. I found an article on this in the corporate press by using Google

Chavez set a goal of building about 150,000 homes this year, and he said on Saturday that more than 125,000 housing units have been completed. His opponents question the official figures, and the government hasn't provided a detailed breakdown of homes built by the government and private construction companies, nor has it specified whether the figures include refurbished housing.

"It's December and we have the same homeless people waiting for houses for a year due to lack of commitment and inefficiency," opposition lawmaker Julio Borges said at a recent news conference. He accused the government of inflating its figures and providing far fewer homes than it claims.

"If 100,000 houses were built as they say, to whom did they give them?" Borges asked.

Housing Ministry officials did not respond to requests for an interview.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/27/2563067/chavez-struggles-to-fix-venezuelas.html

[Bacchus4.0]

2. "No government has ever built more than 100,000 houses in a year"

http://www.eluniversal.com/economia/120111/no-government-has-ever-built-more-than-100000-houses-in-a-year


Aquiles Martini Pietri, the president of the Venezuelan Real Estate Chamber, said that "no government has ever built more than 100,000 houses in Venezuela in a year," not even in 2011.

Martini Pietri said that the data released by the government include items that are not new houses, such as the replacement of slums with houses, "which is a commendable plan, but they are not new units," the businessman said in an interview with Venezuelan radio station Unión Radio.

The developer added that out of the 146,000 housing units announced by government authorities, 50,000 were part of the program of replacement of slums with houses; 40,000 were built by the private sector, and between 40,000 and 60,000 units were built by state-run agencies.
---------------------------
not sure quite how to interpret but it sounds like the government is including new houses as moving people from slums to already existing units. Will wait for confirmation from our Venezuela resident DU members. Chavistas, don't bother responding or posting Chavez propaganda.

[ChangoLoa]

3. There you go guessing again! You don't understand the Venezuelan legal system

Chavez didn't need the 18 months authorization to rule dy decree (which by the way was given to him by a Parliament which had only a WEEK of mandate left) for this housing program. He just needed the 50% majority, which he already had*. So the opposition could NOT block this program in any manner.

The housing program, by the way, is largely insufficient and superficial. Its numbers are fake too, since the government chose to include houses built by the private sector!. Chavez promised that the government would build 150,000 homes for 2011 and, finally, they only built around 90,000. So now, they're trying hard to disguise that well-known and admitted fact through the diffusion of this kind of fake news. Most notably in venezuelanalysis, which is a structure created by the Venezuelan consulate in the US. You want to applaud for this type of failure in our social policies, I believe it's a shame: with a barrel of oil topping the 100$ line, the richest government in Venezuelan history is only able to keep 60% of its promise when it declares itself "socialist". Moreover, they're forced to cheat the numbers and try to diffuse the message through their own informative structures to hide their failure.



*The authorization to rule by decree empowers you to act as if you had a 60% qualified majority. It's only useful if you want to change the Constitution. Which they did. Among other things, they immediately voted a law that forbids to a deputy to vote against his party. They wouldn't have been able to do it without the rule by decree authorization because it was uncostitutional.

[roody]

4. I wish that my government had

build 90,000 homes.

[ChangoLoa]

5. Yes, let's put 150,000 in the budget and then construct 90,000. Folks will still be happy! nt

[txlibdem]

6. The US government is perfectly OK with millions of people being foreclosed upon

That's NEGATIVE housing creation. Why aren't you railing against the Capitalistas and their successful coup to take over the American government: corporations outright purchasing legislators and having unlimited ability to spend (in total secrecy) on ads for or against any candidate or legislation they want.

Wow. America is such a shining standard to be lauded throughout the world!

[Bacchus4.0]

7. maybe because Changoloa is Venezuelan???

but I do wonder what the restrictions are on the Chavez administration on spending for party candidates and campaigning.

[txlibdem]

8. Being Venezuelan automatically clears you of having an agenda???

Being Venezuelan automatically clears you of having an agenda??? I didn't know that. Thank you for educating me.

As to the subject of election spending, as an American, I have absolutely zero moral leg to stand on. But, from my vantage point, it appears that the Corporatistas and Capitalistas in Venezuela have unlimited ability to broadcast any "tale" they'd like via tv, newspaper or radio. Potato/Potato? Yup.

[ChangoLoa]

10. An "agenda" here in the Latin American forum? Must be quite effective ah!

Sometimes, up to 20 people click on the threads....!!!

[ChangoLoa]

9. Travel your mind beyond the Gulf of Mexico and the Rio Grande

There's a whole world beyond your country, which by the way no one here considers to be an example of anything. Quite on the contrary.

At the same time, in Venezuela, things don't seem to work in the binary way you describe. You see, in this particular case, I criticize the fact that 150,000 houses were paid for by the Venezuelan people through their State's budget while only 90,000 were built. There's a considerable gap. Where did the public money go? Asking this question doesn't make me a "pro-capitalista", just like applauding the actual result of this policy - we all agree with its goal - doesn't make you a leftist.

If you want to know what I think about "the Capitalistas and their successful coup to take over the American government", it's easy: ask me the question. But that would better fit into a different thread.

[txlibdem]

11. I think we should trade countries for a decade

You can live here in the USA and be a wage-slave with zero rights and pay outrageous sums for everything, especially healthcare. You can witness the loss of freedoms month after month, you can pay the highest percentage of taxes and fees while the wealthy get what amounts to a free ride. Good luck.

I'll toil under the yolk of the "terrible" Hugo Chavez and help set up clinics to improve the Universal Health Care in Venezuela, build farmer's markets and help local growers sell their crops, and generally enjoy life as one among a free people.