Sociedad Hipotecaria Federal
The Pitch
Sociedad Hipotecaria Federal (SHF) created sustainable building guidelines for Mexico and used them to facilitate new low-cost and low-carbon housing and infrastructure projects.
The Problem
Households spend excess money on inefficient homes, wasting resources and income. Resource conservation is especially important in Mexico, where water scarcity is common.
The Process
- Encouraged the construction of sustainable, low-cost homes through four programs:
- EcoCasa: a certification for homes built in compliance with sustainable criteria
- EcoRenta: a formal rent mechanism with sustainable standards
- Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA): encourages small and medium developers to build sustainable homes
- Latin America Investment Facility (LAIF): the first passive-house model in Latin America
- Worked with the Strengthening Capacity for Energy Efficiency in Buildings in Latin America’s Warm Climate Zones Project (CEELA) to create guidelines and best practices for reducing energy consumption in new buildings in Latin America
- Issued residential green bonds to finance sustainable housing projects
- Required projects valued over $5 million to comply with environmental and social standards, such as waste collection and treatment, reforestation, community work, etc.
- Certified sustainable infrastructure projects in Tulum such as new transportation routes, parks, playgrounds, water storage tanks and streetlights with LED lamps
The Impact
- Supported creation and certification of 86,179 sustainable homes across 25 states, benefitting 344.716 people:
- Quintana Roo=27,082 homes
- Monterrey=5,081 homes
- Jalisco=17,312 homes
- Guanajuato=7,318 homes
- Coahuila=2,582 homes
- Sonora=3,989 homes
- Tamaulipas=6,269 homes
- Ensured that new sustainable homes provide a better quality of life for residents—in addition to emitting less carbon emissions and reducing homes’ carbon footprint—by mandating that homes must be near public transportation, schools, health centers, green spaces and grocery stores, and be equipped with drainage, energy and access to potable water
- Raised awareness about energy efficiency and sustainable housing options that reduce costs for residents and build walkable communities
- Inspired collaboration with development banks, academia and governments to replicate SHF’s programming in Colombia, Honduras, Argentina and Nigeria
