Caribbean, Latin America face housing deficit, says IDB

WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) says Latin America and the Caribbean continue to face a significant housing deficit, with most of the problem linked to poor housing conditions rather than an outright shortage of homes. The Washington-based institution said a new study found that 78 per cent of the region’s housing deficit is associated with inadequate conditions, overcrowding, insecure tenure, lack of basic services and poor urban connectivity. The findings were highlighted at the Fourth Regional Housing Forum 2026, which brought together more than 3,500 government officials, business leaders, experts and representatives of international organisations, both in person and virtually. The IDB said the forum focused on expanding access to adequate, resilient and inclusive housing while promoting investment and stronger regional partnerships. IDB Group President Ilan Goldfajn said improving existing homes and constructing the housing needed across the region would require an estimated US$1.4 trillion. He said governments cannot meet that level of investment on their own and called for better public policies, greater mobilisation of private capital and stronger partnerships to turn housing initiatives into concrete projects. The IDB said since 2023 it has financed more than US$1 billion in public-sector housing projects, while IDB Invest has approved or structured more than US$750 million in financing involving banks, developers and capital markets. Participants were also introduced to a new methodology for measuring housing deficits and to the Housing and Urban Intelligence hub, developed with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The platform combines indicators on housing, urban development and territorial systems to support policymaking and investment decisions. The forum concluded Friday with a Regional Housing Policy Dialogue involving more than 30 ministers and senior housing and urban development officials. The IDB said the discussions were aimed at turning technical exchanges into concrete priorities and strengthening cooperation on housing solutions that can be implemented across Latin America and the Caribbean.