Today, six of the nine families renting in our Estela de Esperanzas* building (La Boca, Buenos\u00a0Aires), rely on a woman that is both mother and head of the household.<\/p>\n
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What does being \u201chead of the household\u201d involve? Although the National Statistics Institute\u00a0does not provide a clear and accurate definition \u2013as the only requirement is for the head of\u00a0the household to be older than 15 years old\u2013, we understand that it involves a combination of\u00a0being the decision maker and the person who provides financial support to cover household\u00a0expenses as well as those of the other members of the family.<\/p>\n
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Women renting in our building \u2013at the market price\u2013 have a long history of obstacles and\u00a0conflict when it comes to finding a place to live. Not only do they have to deal with the\u00a0difficulties faced by any low or middle income person when it comes to renting, but also with\u00a0the gender issue and the lack of equality that positions them as the most excluded from the\u00a0housing market.<\/p>\n
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This is due to the fact that women are generally in charge of the upbringing of their children,\u00a0whether the father is present or not. Moreover, there are many cases in which, even with a court sentence or a mediation agreement, they do not receive the money they should be paid\u00a0as child support. The main reason for this, apart from irresponsibility on the part of the\u00a0fathers, is that they have informal jobs (undeclared) and, therefore, there is no salary from\u00a0which to force payment under the law.<\/p>\n
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Not only do mothers have to deal with higher expenses \u2013that depend entirely on them when\u00a0their children are underaged\u2013 but also with having to spend a great part of their time taking\u00a0care of and accompanying their children. As a result, they have less access to job\u00a0opportunities, which impacts directly on the salary they could earn. Taking all this into\u00a0account and considering how hard it is for them to enter into a rental contract and to fulfill the\u00a0requirements for entry (paying 3 months in advance, a deposit, a surety insurance, the costs of\u00a0document duty, etcetera), their real chances of gaining access to a proper and fair place to live\u00a0are basically nonexistent.<\/p>\n
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Therefore, we want to express how proud we are of being witnesses of the effort and fight of\u00a0these women. Each mother should have fair access to a place to rent that is adequate for her\u00a0family. We are committed to keep trying to find the way to make access to rent a reality for\u00a0those who find themselves excluded from the market today.<\/p>\n
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Today, six of the nine families renting in our Estela de Esperanzas* building (La Boca, Buenos\u00a0Aires), rely on a woman that is both mother and head of the household. What does being \u201chead of the household\u201d involve? Although the National Statistics Institute\u00a0does not provide a clear and accurate definition \u2013as the only requirement is<\/p>\n