Evaluation of the Federal Housing Program Tu Casa in Zacatecas

Abstract

This article assesses the implementation of the federal housing program Tu Casa in the State of Zacatecas. To determine the social effects of the program, we compare the well-being of the direct beneficiaries with that of a control group. According to the geographic distribution of housing actions, seven out of the eight municipalities with the highest rate of marginalization did not received any benefit from the program. The survey results, however, show that the subsidies implied by the program have been granted to the households meeting the profile sought by the program; and that even though the houses of the beneficiaries are smaller as compared with those of the counterfactual, they show greater residence and neighborhood satisfaction, and there is no significant difference in happiness among these groups. The evaluation presents clear areas for improvement, which could increase the level of satisfaction of the program beneficiaries.