Of the many different solutions proposed & built to solve the Argentine housing crisis, it’s easy to forget how innovative they really were. We’re used to seeing modern versions as apartment complexes & condominiums. Big deal. But it was the first time that they had ever been built in Argentina. One hundred years ago in Buenos Aires, none of those types of living quarters existed. Zero.
Read More »housing for the masses: casa chorizo
Microbarrio Monseñor Espinosa, 1923 • Barracas
Perdriel & California
Contrasting greatly with the previous complex, these semi-detached chalets are like a little piece of paradise. Also built with fundraising money from the Unión Popular Católica Argentina, land was donated by the Pereyra Iraola & Herrera Vega families. Gardens cut through 60 units in a cross shape, & note that this is not the size of a city block… but it’s about half of an overly large block. In fact, the odd shape is due to following the diagonal line of the existing layout. Designed by Carlos Cucullu, it has been wonderfully maintained & I would love to live there.
Read More »housing for the masses: microbarrio monseñor espinosa, 1923
Casa Colectiva Valentín Alsina, 1919 • Parque Patricios
Avenida Caseros & 24 de Noviembre
Inspired by the action of Azucena Butteler, numerous private & public schemes were proposed to acquire funds needed for housing projects. Some of the proposals were: government allocations directly controlled by Congress, a direct tax on Jockey Club members, or loans for low-income government employees underwritten by the Central Bank. It was finally decided that 75% of the Jockey Club’s profits from Thursday horse races were to be donated to a general housing construction fund. Money began to flow in, but how should the government use it?
Read More »housing for the masses: casa colectiva valentín alsina, 1919
Microbarrio San Vicente de Paul, 1912 • Nueva Pompeya Cachí & Traful
Social assistance in Argentina was not limited to private donations like that of Azucena Butteler. One important group did as much as all other organizations combined —the Catholic church. Under the guidance of the Unión Popular Católica Argentina, nationwide fundraising drives gave Catholic organizations lots of cash to assist the poor. The government highly valued their contribution, mainly administered by women’s groups.
Read More »housing for the masses: microbarrio san vicente de paul, 1912One of the things that has always impressed me about Argentina is their commitment to social welfare. Before the onslaught of comments to the contrary, hear me out. Without question, you can find lots of examples of the oligarchy looking out for itself, plenty of internal conflicts that jeopardized social welfare, & certainly a lot of work left to be done at present. But the average citizen’s standard of living was often a big concern during 20th-century in Argentina.
Read More »housing for the masses: barrio butteler, 1910
The first question to ask is: How do you go about selecting a new President when there are 19 candidates & 3 of those from the same political party? Not as difficult as it might seem…
Read More »argentina: selecting a president
Having been away from the journalistic side of things for WAY too long, there’s quite a bit to cover. Let’s get started with politics & wrap up a few loose ends…
Read More »argentina: pre-election fervor
Many people are complaining about rising prices on basic food items. At the grocery store in mid-February, a woman told me she thought Argentines were cowards for putting up with price increases… an interesting opinion. I’m not sure what she would do, but my idea is to stick with a group of basic food products & monitor prices at the three largest chain supermarkets over the next few weeks. One of the first big news stories after devaluation was the rise of bread prices by 30%. Now the milk industry is following suit.
Read More »buenos aires: supermarket price comparison
Fabio & I recently moved… yea! We had been looking for a new apartment a couple weeks prior to the Uruguay trip & found a place we liked in Barrio Norte. That’s a psuedo-neighborhood that has no official boundaries, but everyone knows it straddles Recoleta and Retiro. All in all, a nice part of town with great connections everywhere.
Read More »buenos aires: moving in
A long time since the last update but with good reason. I just got back from a quick Uruguay trip to renew my passport stamp. I’m officially in Argentina as a tourist which allows for a 90-day stay. Every time those 90 days expire, I have to travel outside of Argentina & return again to obtain a new entry stamp. Sounds like a hassle but with work trips to Europe, it usually isn’t a problem.
Read More »argentina: legal again