In a highly emotional event, 99 families attained homes after being chosen through a drawing in which 268 families had qualified to enter. The families obtained very favorable purchasing conditions including monthly payments that do not exceed 20% of their income and a 2% annual interest rate. The purchase value of each of these houses is about USD 30,000. The three bedroom and two bath units have a surface area of 60 m². The neighborhood has sewage infrastructure, streets and football fields.

Montes del Plata built and temporarily used these housing units during the construction of the company&rsquos industrial complex in Punta Pereira. They were then donated to the Intendancy for social housing purposes.

The ion process for the houses consisted of a committee comprised of representatives the Intendancy and each of the three political parties that make up the Departmental Council. The committee performed a case by case evaluation of 496 applicants as a way to provide guarantees and transparency to the process and to the families ed for the drawing.

Colonia intendant Walter Zimmer stated that this is the starting point of a Departmental Housing Plan since the funds provided by the beneficiaries of the houses donated by Montes del Plata will enable other families to have access to housing solutions. An additional 50 of the 150 total units donated by Montes del Plata will be used to provide new homes for families the Villa Ferrando shanty town, which is located in a flood zone. 

Montes del Plata Sustainability and Corporate Affairs manager Carolina Moreira, underscored the commitment of the organizations that worked throughout this process and noted that this path will continue to benefit the people of Colonia. Furthermore, she emphasized that it has been a source of pride to take part in this event, which helps affirm that the start up of Montes del Plata has not been an end goal, but rather a beginning.

Miguel Asqueta, general director of Planning, Programs and Decentralization of the Intendancy of Colonia was pleased by the collaboration and noted that this achievement is part of a housing policy that must continue during the next term. He added that "the main objective for the allocation of these units was to reach working class families with incomes that would not easily enable them to get loans the banking system. The money generated through the sale of these housing units will be transferred to a departmental housing fund."

This milestone is evidence of the commitment to local development that was taken on by the government and Montes del Plata and that has benefitted society as a whole