Background and Relevance of the Players Involved
The National Housing Commission (CONAVI) has decided to reserve the public version of contracts for building homes under the “Housing for Well-being” program for 24 months. This decision comes as CONAVI aims to construct 500,000 homes with a substantial increase in its budget. Meanwhile, the Institute of the National Housing Fund for Workers (INFONAVIT) plans to construct 1.2 million homes during the current six-year term and will make public the information related to contracts awarded to private entities.
Details of the Reservation and Its Implications
The reserved information includes structural and architectural plans, technical construction specifications, and security systems for the facilities. CONAVI argues that disclosing these details could potentially facilitate criminal activities during construction.
CONAVI’s Budget and Housing Targets
For 2025, CONAVI has a budget of 32,117 million pesos, marking a real annual growth of 535% compared to 2024. The proposed budget for 2026 is 33,474 million pesos, totaling over 65,500 million pesos for the housing program in just two years.
Importance of Transparency
Experts in transparency emphasize that the lack of information regarding CONAVI’s contracts hinders the evaluation of public resource management in this crucial housing program.
Fernanda García, coordinator of the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO), states that the absence of transparency limits scrutiny over resource use and affects accountability.
Eduardo Bohórquez, director of Transparency Mexicana, believes that CONAVI’s Committee on Transparency overreached by reserving all contract information. He suggests that only specific aspects, like plans or certain contract details, should be classified.
INFONAVIT’s Transparency Initiative
INFONAVIT plans to launch a platform making contract details publicly available, including the type of contract, number of homes, total amount allocated, housing cost, contracted company, and project status and location.
According to INFONAVI’s general director, Octavio Romero, the platform will balance sensitive information disclosure with public accessibility.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the reason for CONAVI reserving contracts for 24 months? CONAVI argues that disclosing detailed information could potentially facilitate criminal activities during construction.
- What are the housing targets for CONAVI and INFONAVIT? CONAVI aims to build 500,000 homes, while INFONAVIT plans to construct 1.2 million homes during the current six-year term.
- Why are experts concerned about the lack of transparency? Experts argue that without transparent information, it’s difficult to evaluate public resource management and ensure accountability in the housing program.
- What information will INFONAVIT make public on its platform? INFONAVIT’s platform will include details like contract type, number of homes, total amount allocated, housing cost, contracted company, and project status and location.
