El Estado y la construcción de vivienda para la gente del común. San Salvador 1852-1960

In El Salvador, across time, the State has been interested in providing housing to that sector of the population incapable to afford such basic needs. Reasons have varied through the time, albeit apparently, the goal has always been the same: to strengthen the political and economic power of the ruling elites, including the State, at different times. It has been argued that housing policies for low-income sectors began in the 1930’s, with the actions of Maximiliano Hernández Martínez; however, there can be found similar policies at least around 1854. It is noted that between that year and mid 20th century, governmental housing policies had minimal impact on addressing the housing need; but after the Revolution of 1948, the State took a decisive turn with the creation of the Urban Housing Institute (Instituto de Vivienda Urbana,IVU), which between 1950 and 1960, exceeded the construction of housing for these sectors by ten times, compared with the last 100 years.