Mechanisms that Guarantee and Protect the Right to Family Housing in the Department of Santa Ana

Abstract

The Salvadoran State, as a guarantor and protective entity of the fundamental rights of people, must ensure that Salvadoran families have housing that meets the minimum necessary conditions for the personal development of their members, through the creation and implementation of public policies designed for that purpose. However, the institutions or organizations involved in housing issues have not been able to solve or reduce the housing problem for those families that could benefit, because some of their programs require minimum conditions such as receiving a fixed income.

In El Salvador, there is a high percentage of the population that does not have access to decent housing where their families can develop productively; especially those socially and economically most vulnerable sectors, whose income is variable.

In this context, the research was based on available documentary information and interviews with the actors involved, with the purpose of analyzing the mechanisms that guarantee and protect the right to family housing. It was found that there is a housing deficit for vulnerable sectors; moreover, existing mechanisms are not sufficient to ensure and enforce the right to housing due to prevailing economic, social, and cultural conditions. It is necessary for public and private institutions to work in a coordinated manner under the principle of co-responsibility and develop effective policies that fulfill this universal right.