According to the IDB study "Room for Development", Latin America and the Caribbean would need to invest 7,8% of its GDP to respond to an increading demand for quality housing. What can we possibly do? Govenrments need to motivate the private sector to build more and better homes at affordable prices. More information at iadb.org/DIAhousing

In Quebrada del Toro, a remote town in the Argentinian province of Salta, solar energy provides heating and cooking services for off-the-grid educational centers.

By its completion date in 2016, Chaglla's hydroelectric plant will provide 15% of Peru's total energy. This megaestructure not only provides clean energy with minimal environmental impact; it has also created 2,500 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs in a now-thriving town.

The Inter-American Development Bank, through its Transparency Fund, is supporting Colombia´s National Savings Fund and Transparencia por Colombia in giving visibility online to the housing purchasing processes and access to mortgages.

Over the last two decades, the IDB Cultural Center has not only become an emblematic presence for Latin American culture in Washington DC, but also a promoter of the creative industries in Latin America and the Caribbean.