The impact of COVID-19 on slums

The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Central America and the Dominican Republic, along with the lack of social inclusion, vulnerability to natural disasters, the lack of economic opportunities and competitiveness and its impact on slums, was the topic discussed in the webinar  organised by SISCA with the cooperation of  EUROsociAL+ Democratic Governance Policy area from FIIAPP.

The consequences of the pandemic pose new challenges to economic and social systems on a global scale, highlighting the need for a coordinated response. This response must include all sectors of the population as the only way to offer a viable way out of the multiple vulnerabilities that are exacerbated in informal settlements and slums. 

Central America has a significant housing deficit. The average percentage of the urban population residing in informal settlements is around 29% in the region, reaching 39% in Guatemala and as much as 45% in Nicaragua. These informal settlements are usually located in areas at high risk of floods, landslides and earthquakes.

During the conference, possible solutions were proposed, such as proposals for public action and social housing policy. The need was established for making global changes in infrastructure construction models and housing and urban development programmes.  In this regard, Sonia González, coordinator from the Democratic Governance Policy Area of Eurosocial+ stressed “the pandemic has highlighted the importance of social cohesion in Latin American countries. Urban development and the urban agenda should be at the heart of the public policy agenda“.

Another of the premises established in the webinar was that organisations should act urgently to mitigate propagation, save lives and ensure the functioning of communities’ basic socio-economic dynamics. Therefore, it is considered essential for decisions to be based on epidemiological and socio-economic evidence and considerations.

In addition to the European Union Programme for Social Cohesion in Latin America, EUROsociAL+ , participants included the Urban Housing Practitioners Hub (UHPH), Cities Alliance, UN Habitat, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Housing and Habitat Researchers Network in the Americas (RIVHA), the Secretariat for Central American Social Integration (SISCA) and the Secretariat for the Council for Central American Social Integration (CCVAH) and the Spain’s Romany Secretariat Foundation.