President Calderón declared that in 2007, over 54,000 credits will be offered through various housing programs, as a result of which more than 240,000 inhabitants of Baja California will be able to purchase their own homes or remodel those they already possess. Since the current administration is committed to workers’ families, particularly those with the lowest incomes, it has designed a form of credit tailored to their needs, while Federal Government will support families by financing the down payment on their homes. He explained that Over the next five years, our goal is for a quarter of a million credits to be given to this state, at least 175,000 of which will be provided through Infonavit financing options. This will also mean that 56 million pesos will be spent in Baja California.”
The president added that his government will promote housing on the basis of proper town planning, which in turn will promote the orderly, sustainable development of Mexican cities. The Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources, the National Housing Commission, and the Secretariat of Social Development are working together to establish a code for the construction of sustainable housing. These dwellings are designed to improve energy use, include rainwater capture systems and most of them are built from non-toxic materials.
On a different note, President Calderon said that he would support the efforts of Baja California residents to prevent the paving of the All-American Canal, since this would harm both the environment and Baja California’s border economy. He explained that he had already asked the US government to explore alternatives that would benefit both sides of the border as regards both agriculture and the preservation of the environment as well as making better use of available water. He also urged the citizens of Baja California to defend their rights and to block any modifications to this canal, which would damage the economy and environment of both Mexico and Baja California. Mexico has fulfilled its part of the bargain, he said, by building plants to treat the wastewater that once flowed into RÃo Nuevo; it is now up to the US to do its part. The president ended by urging the citizens of both countries to view trade and border crossing as an opportunity to improve their living standards rather than as a threat.