Habitat on the Hill

Habitat for Humanity Argentina presented a poster on its advocacy efforts for social rental housing, which captured the attention of U.S. affiliates.

During Habitat on the Hill 2026, Habitat for Humanity International’s annual legislative conference, Argentina showcased its work within the global Home Equals campaign. This year’s gathering marked Habitat’s 50th anniversary and the 20th edition of the event in Washington, D.C. Nearly 500 housing advocates participated in three days of discussions, training sessions and networking opportunities. In this context, the material presented by Argentina drew strong interest from attendees who wanted to learn how the country addresses social rental housing.

A model to respond to precarious rental conditions

Many participants were eager to understand the challenges of precarious rental situations in Argentina. This interest made it possible to present the pilot project developed in the Estela de Esperanzas building. The initiative reclaims a vacant property in the City of Buenos Aires and transforms it into a building with nine apartments. It is designed for families currently living in hotels, rooming houses, tenement housing or informal settlements — environments where no formal rental contracts exist and where families face a constant risk of eviction and homelessness.

The project stands out for its comprehensive approach. It offers safe housing for three years and includes a gradual rent subsidy. It also reduces entry barriers such as property guarantees or formal income documentation. In addition, the initiative creates a support network in partnership with specialized organizations. This network promotes job training, income generation and the development of financial skills. Altogether, these components strengthen families’ capacity to save and support their transition toward adequate housing through formal renting or homeownership.

Programmatic advocacy

Through this project, Habitat for Humanity Argentina has become a reference organization in the field of social rental housing. In Buenos Aires, more than 30% of the population rents. Those who lack formal requirements face many obstacles. This reality highlights the need for models that can offer solutions at scale.

In this context, the organization has been working to promote public Social Rental Housing programs that would allow vulnerable populations to access adequate housing. In recent years, joint efforts with the National Government led to the inclusion of the National Social Rental Program in the now repealed Rental Law. In addition, national campaigns and the First Social Rental Housing Summit were carried out.

Next steps

Work is currently underway with local governments to implement the first public social rental program. At the same time, a private rental intermediation model is being developed to connect supply and demand that today remain outside the formal market.

This approach seeks to establish an economically sustainable and socially responsible model that will allow thousands of people to access market-rate rentals.

Global connections for shared challenges

The conversations held throughout the event showed how the Argentine project resonates with issues that also affect communities in the United States. For some attendees, it provided an opportunity to explore new strategies to address the housing deficit. For others, it revealed similarities between the pilot model and efforts already being implemented in their own cities.

This exchange confirmed that Habitat’s work in Argentina is both cross-cutting and replicable. It also highlighted the value of learning from other international experiences. Sharing approaches strengthens housing policies that must scale to meet today’s challenges.