Minister of Housing and Urban Development Iván Poduje announced five measures this Sunday for Villa Mirador, a development of 310 homes in the municipality of Arauco, Biobío Region. Rainfall opened cracks and sinkholes in the ground there. Arauco is on the southern coast of Biobío, south of Concepción.
According to Cooperativa, the minister arrived at the site after touring the development, which was built between 2010 and 2014 on a hill with natural slopes. The houses are spread across three terraces. "We have concluded that there are serious design problems, settlement problems and fill problems," Poduje said.
The minister added that, according to what the mayor told him, when the site was subdivided, the fill was not properly controlled or was not of sufficient quality. Rainfall caused three cracks or sinkholes to appear, alarming residents.
According to G5 Noticias, more than 50 residents accompanied Poduje. Also present were the regional ministerial secretary (seremi) for Housing, Anselmo Villagra, and the acting director of the Housing and Urban Development Service (Serviu) in Biobío, Carlos Riffo. Mayor Mauricio Alarcón, provincial presidential delegate Pedro Marileo and Deputies Flor Weisse, Joanna Pérez and Patricio Pinilla also attended.
The first measure focuses on families whose homes have damp problems. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (Minvu) will urgently survey those homes to provide rental accommodation. The sources do not specify how many households are in that situation.
Minvu will also close the street where the cracks appeared and carry out work in the area to prevent further water infiltration. The company responsible for the construction must fund a soil mechanics study. The results will determine the work needed to stabilize the ground and reinforce the walls. The sources do not identify the company or set deadlines for the study.
The final measure is relocation. "If the repairs prove very complex and their cost very high, the affected families will be relocated to a safe neighborhood with new homes," Poduje said. The minister did not say how many families might be moved or what budget would be used.
Mitigation work began that same Sunday. Polyethylene sheeting is being installed on platform 200 to reduce infiltration. On platform 300, rainwater will be diverted along the existing curbs toward a drainage point. Concrete Jersey barriers will be placed in the lower part of the development in case the slope shifts.
The company Jomar pledged to provide machinery and materials, while Minvu technical teams continue to assess the ground. Poduje announced that he will return to Villa Mirador this Monday morning to sign a document with Mayor Alarcón setting out the commitments made to residents.
