Peru: Promotion of Safe, Sound and Sustainable Construction Practices in Vulnerable Urban Areas (Construya)

Accelerated urbanization, a lack of urban planning and a significant housing deficit are increasingly leading to the progressive development of housing as an alternative for low-income families. It is estimated that 500,000 homes and more than 700,000 people in Lima live in conditions that place them at high-risk of earthquakes and tsunamis, making Peru one of the countries most likely to experience seismic events in the world. Most homes built in vulnerable zones do not comply with the most basic construction requirements. Given this situation, the Construya Peru project was created. It seeks to improve the quality of life of the population living in vulnerable urban areas of Peru through the promotion of safe, healthy and sustainable construction practices by raising awareness among families and institutionalising affordable training for construction workers. To this end, and under a systemic approach, the project works in coordination with distributors and manufacturers of construction materials, training institutions, business associations, municipalities, universities and innovation centres, among other actors in the ecosystem.
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Ancon, Peru
-11.7340437
-77.1468866
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Lurín, Peru
-12.2608092
-76.8840477
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Villa el Salvador, Peru
-12.2056614
-76.9531145
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Carabayllo, Peru
-11.8818631
-77.0233781
Project duration
2019 - 2023

The project

In the first phase (2015-2018), the project identified the most frequent bad housing construction practices in peripheral districts of Lima. Based on this diagnosis, training for construction workers was conducted based on the adult education approach (andragogy). At the same time, training on the risks of inadequate housing and how to improve their living conditions through safer and healthier housing was also carried out with homeowners in vulnerable areas.

The project is currently in its second phase (2019-2023) and in its facilitating role it promotes:

  • Development of courses on "Good Practices in Housing Construction", aimed at master builders, co-created with training entities and materials companies.
  • Design and promotion of strategies and means to raise awareness among families on the safe construction of their homes, accompanying local actors in their implementation.
  • Promotion of complementary services in housing construction, according to the demand of construction workers and families (calculating tools for master builders, strengthening of hardware stores and promoting the use of blueprints).

In this way, the project seeks to achieve greater sustainability of the created impact.

Results

Achieved results in the first phase (2015 - 2018)

  • Wrong constructive practices documented
  • Curricula for technical and business training modules developed
  • 4 198 workers trained (1 254 also in entrepreneurial topics)
  • Average income increase of 15.7%
  • 6 809 owners sensitised and 3004 trained
  • 53 000 people living in safer homes thanks to safer construction practices
     

Expected results in the second phase (2019-2023)

  • 3 000 construction workers access and complete quality training packages.
  • 1 000 construction workers apply good practices for housing construction.
  • 5 000 homeowners access information on safe construction.
  • 30% of sensitised homeowners request quality construction and skilled workers.  

Financing partners

This project is financed by Hilti Foundation. It is part of the Swisscontact Development Programme, which is co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA. 

News

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Market Systems to enable sustainability of informal housing in Lima
Over the last few decades, the world has experienced an unprecedented urban growth due to population growth and domestic migration, which has led to the emergence of peripheral settlements characterized by informal building constructions that, when located in seismic areas, endanger human lives. This is particularly the case of the Peruvian capital city of Lima.
Colombia, Peru
23.03.2022
Training builders – Construya’s programme
In 2011, the Hilti Foundation and Swisscontact launched a qualification programme for the informal construction sector in Colombia. Read the story of Construya by the Hilti Foundation.