Bringing new ideas to housing research

This article assesses the impact of the Integral Redevelopment Project (PIRU) in the Playón de Chacarita neighbourhood, an informal settlement in Buenos Aires, based on a policy designed to address housing shortages for vulnerable groups. Using quantitative methods, the study compares data from 2010, 2016 (an ad hoc), and 2022 censuses to evaluate the programme’s success in reducing overcrowding and enhancing housing conditions. Results indicate significant improvements, with overcrowding falling from 20% to 2%, a figure that matches wider urban benchmarks. However, the analysis reveals persistent challenges in curbing housing informality, as post-PIRU data show an unanticipated rise in the number of dwellings, suggesting that there are flaws in beneficiary targeting or that the expansion of the informal settlement has continued. The findings emphasise the need for consistent evaluation methodologies in housing policies and highlight the limitations of localised interventions without broader socioeconomic reforms.