The Inter-American Housing Union (Uniapravi) successfully held its 30th Inter-American Mortgage Banking Course at the Holiday Inn Miami Beach-Oceanfront Hotel in Florida, USA, on April 23 and 24, 2016.
The Course is the most important regional forum on Mortgage Banking, providing a valuable opportunity to establish connections with other banking and financial institutions with housing portfolios and with sector authorities from various countries across the Americas.
This Inter-American Course aimed to contribute to strengthening human capital, primarily within Uniapravi member institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean. During the technological innovation sessions, BBVA Mexico presented its experience in the transformation and innovation process of housing finance, taking a holistic approach that considers customer, risk, and infrastructure. Galileo FT also presented digital and UX trends for the New Banking Era, sharing SoFi's success story in Digital Mortgages.
New strategies and financing solutions for small real estate developers and social housing credit in vulnerable sectors were also analyzed, drawing on the experience of VIVELA, a financial institution that promotes the development and financing of social housing in Peru. Peru GBC presented its future property model, which has been operating in the Peruvian market for over 20 years, as well as taxonomies and approaches to sustainable finance in each country and their impact on housing projects.
During the course, a specialist from Lendifi Capital Mortgage presented the Reverse Mortgage model operating in the United States, a financial alternative that allows people over 55 to access the capital gains of their primary property.
Finally, the rental housing sector was addressed, analyzing the challenges and opportunities for investment and financing in social rental housing. International experiences were explored by the Affordable Housing Institute (AHÍ), and the Affordable America Homes model, which promotes affordable housing through rentals in the United States, was also presented. Homie.mx presented the Multifamily Rental Housing Model in Latin America, a proven model with significant development potential.
The course was geared towards management-level professionals and executives from Uniapravi member entities, including banks, financial institutions, mutual societies, housing savings and loan associations, cooperatives, credit unions, and fund managers, as well as central banks; and authorities and officials from housing funds and banks, mortgage banks, researchers, and consultants.
The course brought together more than 42 attendees, including presenters and participants, from Colombia, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and the Dominican Republic. The opening and closing ceremonies were led by the Union's President, Mr. José Luis Ventura Castaños, who emphasized that this event demonstrates the shared commitment of its members to building a more equitable and inclusive future for their communities.
Uniapravi reaffirms its commitment to promoting housing development, generating knowledge and creating spaces for meeting and exchanging experiences and best practices in the field of housing finance and urban development in Latin American and Caribbean countries.
