Women Day Center

Anood Mantsch

ISSUES

“We’re facing a double epidemic: the virus and domestic violence. One is new, the other has always been here,” Jackie Campbell, a human rights activist and spokesperson for the Diocese of Saltillo in Mexico.

Underprivileged Women with Children during Sluggish Economy in CDMX

Women are affected in multiple ways. They’re often the first to lose their job, they have to take care of the children, and they face the stress of being locked up with their aggressor.

Gentrification of Mexico City

The effects of gentrification in Mexico City come from the transformation and expansion of urban zones, as well as the adoption of capitalist policies, an elevated consumerism and a strong class domination by domestic elites.

“There’s not a single authority in Mexico that thinks about women.” Jackie Campbell

FACTS

Mexico has long been plagued by often brutal violence against women and children. Just under 11 women are killed on average each day in Mexico because of gender-based violence.

The rate of domestic violence against women in Mexican marital relationships varies at between 30 and 60 percent of relationships.

According to the federal government, authorities received more than 130,000 calls related to domestic violence during the first six months of 2020 which almost 50% increase in emergency calls comparing to the same period last year.

“90% of the emergency calls were “false.” According to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador

In April, the federal government announced budget cuts to a number of institutions specifically created to combat violence against women.

What is Mixed-income Developments?

A type of development that serves households at various income levels. They use income from market-rate units to provide attainable housing opportunities to low- and moderate-income families.

What is Attainable Housing?

Housing which is considered affordable to those with a median household income or below as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index.

Why Adaptive-reuse Strategy for Attainable Housing?

Adaptive-reuse strategy can bring life back to an area, financial resources back to the local marketplace, and safety back to the neighborhood. The results can be truly transformational for a person, a family, a neighborhood, and a city. Adaptive reuse is a means to positively impact lives and communities through meaningful design.

Reducing Homelessness is not about building more houses. So instead of building on empty lands we can turn them to green public spaces.

In Mexico City,

There are over 600 thousands abandoned houses in Mexico City in 2019
Abandoned properties rise the crime rate in its neighborhood

POSITION

Violence against women is a global calamity that impacts women regardless of their nationalities, economic, social and cultural backgrounds. It is not unusual for women to fall victim to violence within places in which they reside. Living with an abusive individual, or individuals, can have dire consequences especially when the women victimized also have children. In Mexico City, these women are often faced with two dreadful choices: staying in an abusive situation or leaving for a life of homelessness in the street where they, and their children, will be subjected to more violence. Often, these homeless families living in the street become victims of sex traffickers.

In this paper, we will demonstrate how renovating apartments in the landmark Condominium Insurgenties Building, located in Mexico City, to house underprivileged women with children will reduce homelessness among that population.

Condiminio Insurgentes 300

It has been a landmark that used to house upper-class families, successful professionals, and high-end shops. The building is a high-rise, 17 floors and 2 floors underground with 6 bank elevators and a heliport with 186.84 ft height, each floor is 10.99 ft high. It has about 450 units.

It is mainly used as residential and has commercial offices. It was used as an art museum. And it had a school and a shopping center at some point.

PROPOSAL

Using adaptive-reuse strategy to turn the abandoned Condominio Insurgentes 300, that is located in Mexico City, into mixed-income housing to include temporary and permanent attainable housing units with its counseling services and personal development programs, and market rate units. Having a deal with the government to subsidize 120 units of the existing building. The bottom level will be commercial and services floor, and the first two levels on top of it will be the temporary attainable units to accommodate underprivileged women with their children. From the fourth floors and up, the floors will be turned into a mixed-income housing. This housing project is a long term solution for fifty years.

The building can be initially funded by partnering with the government. The program and building maintenance can be funded by generating a revenue from the market rate units, the advertisements used on the building, and revenue from donations and selling goods, and the attainable units rental payments.

Partners

Mexican Government
National Workers Housing Fund Institute (INFONAVIT)
National Human Rights Commission | Mexican Government Entity
Local Human Right Activists and Non-Profit Organizations | National Institute of Women (Inmujeres)

Page updated

Report abuse