The Chilean Ministry of Housing and Urbanism (Minvu) is facing accusations of a failed public consultation process regarding major changes to national construction regulations.
Local municipalities and citizens claim the digital platform intended for gathering feedback on the General Ordinance of Urbanism and Construction (OGUC) has never been operational, according to elmostrador.cl.
The ministry denies these claims, insisting the website has remained active and that any issues likely stem from specific web browsers or device compatibility.
The government's proposed reforms aim to "free up" land use and reduce construction costs, potentially lowering new housing prices by 10% to 15%. The plan includes reducing parking requirements and extending construction permit timelines.
Dispute over legitimacy
Critics argue the consultation process was launched with minimal notice and lacks transparency. Some municipal actors reported that the access link remains blocked even when using incognito mode.
“It has been down from the beginning, it has never been active,” a complaint circulating among mayors and industry players stated, as reported by elmostrador.cl.
Some stakeholders have gone further, characterizing the participatory aspect of the reform as purely decorative. “They are going to change the ordinance, they held this consultation, and the consultation is a fiasco,” according to the report.
Minvu officials maintain that the system is being monitored daily by a dedicated team. The ministry noted that 21 citizen observations had been registered as of Saturday.
The ministry maintains that the platform remains open to the public until April 22 and expressed a willingness to resolve any technical access issues reported by users.
