Loreto

Urban planning problems in the city of Loreto derive fundamentally from a recent population boom, low-income and temporary workforce housing needs, the lack of budget to provide basic utilities to new human settlements, and building in high-risk areas, such as hurricane-prone areas and steep slopes.[1]

Public housing constructed by the government for low-income families is inadequate – only 45 square yards for each home.  A minimum size of 60 square yards with another 120 square yards of grass or open space would alleviate crowding and increase the quality of life for impoverished residents.

Tourism and second-home development has increased land speculation in Loreto. This limits the ability of the local population to buy housing, especially considering the financial constraints on mortgages and access to credit within the Mexican banking system.  The high costs of capital and the limited buying power of the population do not encourage affordable home building, creating a housing shortage as well as shantytowns.[2]

The deficiency in street lighting must be resolved as soon as possible, since the growth of temporary and low-income neighborhoods that have little regular police protection is leading to an increase in vandalism.  In 2002, twenty new street lamps were purchased for one colonia, benefiting a total of 1,200 people, in addition to the provision and installation of lighting with branches and underground cable in a main avenue. With these actions, street lighting covers approximately 95% of the low-income areas.

The conservation and maintenance of rural roads, which stretch across around 125 miles (the 98 miles of federal highway are maintained by the government), is a major operational expense for the municipality of Loreto. [3]

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