Like many other countries in the region, Mexico has a significant housing deficit, and has put in a large amount of effort in the past few years to reduce this deficit. In 2000, the urban population living in informal settlements was 20%, and by 2014, that number was down to 11%. More recent housing strategy and policy, which strengthened multiple public institutions to implement massive housing production, has successfully strengthened the economy through housing production and construction.
While this strategy has addressed the quantitative housing deficit, as it has produced millions of single-family housing units, it has not addressed the qualitative housing deficit. Most of these newly constructed units were poorly located and constructed, with inadequate access to economic opportunities and services. Additionally, the mass production of housing units has accelerated rural-to-urban migration, leading to unintended and unplanned spatial growth of cities.
Source:
UN-Habitat. (2021) Evaluation of The Impact of UN-Habitat’s Housing Approach to Adequate, Affordable Housing and Poverty Reduction, 2008-2019: ROLAC (Mexico) Report (4/2020). UN-Habitat.