U.S. - Mexico Binational Commission Working Group on Housing and Urban Development

Released by the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Washington, DC
November 12, 2003

BACKGROUND

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Mexican Commission to Promote Housing (CONAFOVI) have been working together since the creation of this new commission in 2001. The Housing and Urban Development working group, created in 1991, allows for regular exchange on significant housing and urban development issues. The areas of cooperation focus on such topics as: housing finance, geographic information systems and cross border planning, community and urban development and promoting viable primary mortgage markets.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

U.S. Mexico Binational Program on Cross-Border Planning and Colonias Management
Five federal agencies in the U.S. and Mexico and dozens of state and local government and non-government organizations have participated in the HUD initiated cross-border urban planning and colonias monitoring project. The project has been developed to demonstrate the use of affordable GIS (Geographic Information System, or computer mapping) technology to improve housing and community development programs along the 2,000-mile border region.

In the past 18 months, three demonstrations are completed in Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras; El Paso and Ciudad Juárez; and Douglas and Agua Prieta. The project with the Twin Nogales in Arizona and Sonora is in the development stage. Training workshops for government and community groups in both the U.S. and Mexico to use the technology for their day-to-day operation and management have been conducted in each of the demonstration site. These demonstration projects are assisting local governments serving more than 1.5 million people in both sides of the border to improve their housing, environment, and infrastructure conditions.

Collaboration on Partnership for Prosperity Initiatives
HUD and CONAFOVI organized a housing panel session at the June Partnership for Prosperity conference in San Francisco. The session focused on U.S. investment in the Mexican housing sector and housing construction technology and served to provide a general overview of both the U.S. and Mexican housing markets and homebuilding industries. The housing panel discussion outlined the need for assistance in the mortgage finance area and looking at ways to adapt the FHA and GNMA models to Mexico. Discussions focused on holding a region-wide housing finance symposium in Mexico for Mexican and other Latin American officials.

PLAN OF ACTION FOR 2004

Housing Finance Forum
HUD and CONAFOVI, with the support of the World Bank and the University of Pennsylvania, will be hosting a housing finance seminar in February 2004 for experts from the U.S., Mexico and Latin America. The forum will provide an overview of housing finance markets and the steps necessary to establish a viable mortgage market. Participants will be executives from private and public housing finance institutions in their countries.

U.S. Mexico Binational Program on Cross-Border Planning and Colonias Management
HUD will continue to work with other federal U.S. and Mexican agencies to apply the experience to other parts of the border region. The focus will be on community participation, technical training, system enhancement, leveraging resources, and collaborating with the UN-Habitat and other international organizations.

American Fellows Program
Under the State Department funded American Fellows Program, HUD and CONAFOVI are exploring the exchange of local and state officials interested in learning more about housing finance.

Housing Finance Paper
HUD is planning to conduct a literature review and document the historical development of the U.S. housing system particularly as it started to take shape in the 30's and 40's. This study will be translated into Spanish and made available to Mexico as a tool for them to use as they structure programs that might be useful in expanding housing opportunities in their country.