Exclusion of Social Housing in Initial Territories According to Land Price Thresholds in the Metropolitan Area of Santiago, Chile

Abstract

There is a certain consensus in the academy concerning the increase in land prices and its impacts on the population, particularly on lower-income groups. Chile is no exception and several studies have documented how this phenomenon has caused the peripheralization of social housing in many Chilean cities. However, no in-depth studies about the issue are available for the most vulnerable areas. Hence, we suggest the development of a Social Housing Location Threshold (ULVS) that, based on land prices, can identify areas where prices are above the purchase levels of the Housing and Urbanization Service (SERVIU), making it impossible for these households to settle in situ. A first approach to this threshold, developed in the Metropolitan Area of Santiago, shows that only 13.5% of families lacking housing live in areas with prices below the ULVS.