Ecuador

Housing

The 1974 housing census counted 2,747,800 housing units in the country. Almost all rural homes and many city dwellings on the coast are made with split bamboo siding and a palm thatch or corrugated iron roof. A housing development bank, Banco de la Vivienda, was established in 1961. In the late 1970s, the Institute of Sanitary Works initiated a program of well digging and latrine construction in rural areas. In 1990, 64% of all housing units were private houses with sanitary facilities; 12% were mediagreas, substandard one-story dwellings; 8% were apartments; 8% were cuartes, or semi-private units, and 7% were ranchos or covachas, dwellings of wood, stone, or brick covered with palm leaves, straw or other vegetation. Owners occupied 68%; 23% were rented; 6% were occupied rent free; and 3% were rented in exchange for services. Half of all dwellings had private toilet facilities and 40% had private baths. Over the past decade, the government has received substantial amounts of money from international organizations for projects focusing on low-income housing.

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