Caracas.- The Great Mission Housing Venezuela (GMVV) handed over 2,237 housing units on Thursday 7. It has allocated 66,891 finished houses and has benefited the same number of households in 2012.

The revolutionary Mission also allocated 1,203 houses in the southern state of Bolívar, 499 housing units in the southwestern state of Apure, 318 houses in the western state of Mérida, 122 in the northwestern state of Falcón and 96 dwellings in the Capital District.

In the ceremony to allocate houses in the Yocoima housing complex, located in the state of Bolívar, the People’s Minister for Housing and Habitat, Ricardo Molina, said that the housing units finished since the inception of the GMVV, 150,740 housing units have been built by the public sector and 62,869 houses by the private sector. He stressed that 52% out of the housing units developed by the government were built by the People’s Power "that work very hard together with president Chávez, to make more progress and reach this goal.”

Meanwhile, Francisco Sesto, the Minister of State for the Revolutionary Transformation of Greater Caracas, reported that the cost of the houses built in Revolution times amounts to about 270,000 bolivars (approximately $62,790), which is considerable lower than the cost of houses built by the private sector (600,000 bolivars, that is $139,534.) 

The actual cost of the new houses is related to the investment in materials required for the construction of each unit. As a result, the beneficiaries will pay a fair price for their new house and will not be victims of profiteering. In the case of low-income families, the Revolutionary Government will pay 70% of the housing units, in order to ensure the greatest possible happiness of those in greatest need.

Lucila Cárdenas, a beneficiary of a new apartment in the Yocoima housing complex welcomed the State’s initiative: “The desire of our family has become a reality. We have our own house thanks to our President (Hugo) Chávez, who will be reelected on October 7.”

Since the inception of the Great Mission (Housing Venezuela), the Revolutionary Government has built and handed over 213, 609 new houses, which accounts for 61% of the goal. Government officials have said that 350,000 housing units will be built between 2011 and 2012.

In response to the decree issued by President Chávez, the Great Mission Housing Venezuela - with the support of executing agencies such as Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), the Ministry of People’s Power for Communes, the Ministry of People’s Power for Housing and Habitat, Mission Ribas and the Presidential Office for Plans and Special Projects  (OPPPE) - has benefited about 13,000 families who were living in shelters after they lost their homes as a result of heavy rains in Venezuela at the end of 2010 and in early 2011.