Cooperative UFAMA al SUR, Montevideo

This project turns an abandoned building in central Montevideo into 36 homes for low-income Afro-Uruguayan families, most led by women. The community group Mundo Afro started the effort in 1998 to help families return to their historic neighbourhood, Barrio Sur, while fighting gentrification and using empty buildings instead of pushing people to the outskirts.
Families formed the UFAMA al Sur cooperative and, with technical support from the NGO Ciudad y Región, managed the design, construction, and finances themselves. The city sold the old warehouse to the cooperative at a symbolic price, and the Ministry of Housing provided subsidies. Families contributed their own labour and repay a small portion of the subsidy over five years, after which they own their apartments. Each 60 m² flat can be adapted to the family’s needs, and the building includes shared spaces like a garden roof, playground, and sports facilities.
The project cost about $611,000, with government subsidies, labour from residents, and donations from the British Embassy. By reusing an existing building and using compact design with good daylight, ventilation, and insulation, it saves energy and reduces urban sprawl.
Socially, the project strengthens ties among residents, revives a historically Black neighbourhood, and promotes gender and racial equality. The cooperative model gives families construction skills, income opportunities, and experience in self-management. Although the process faced delays, neighbour resistance, and funding challenges, it showed that community-led housing can fight exclusion, use urban space sustainably, and inspire similar projects in other Uruguayan cities.
This initiative demonstrates how mutual aid, public support, and adaptive reuse can provide affordable homes while restoring social and cultural roots.