Abstract
This study focuses on the housing conditions of the poor in the urban area of Latin America where the precarious infrastructures and communities are relevantly present The paper includes two study cases in Brazil: the city of Rio, where habitants participate to upgrade their communities; Brasilia, where in contrast to the Rio case, the local government basically takes initiative. Peruvian government leads loan programs that include representatives of the private sector like banks and construction companies. In Mexico, the city has established a system of loans which are received from NGOs and the Federal District to implement household reconstruction programs.
