“Discover How Environmental Hurdles Halt Construction Boom in Southeast!”

Housing construction in the southeastern region of the country has been significantly impacted by environmental factors. From January to April this year, 6,118 houses were built. However, the process has been hindered by difficulties in obtaining environmental impact statements and securing electricity supply for real estate projects.

Gene Towle, the General Director of consulting firm Softec, stated that these delays have slowed the pace of house building in this part of the country. He noted that it typically takes one to two years to secure land for a real estate project. Depending on the size of the project, it can take an additional one to four years to obtain feasibility assessments, permits, and licenses for water, electricity, and drainage.

A decade ago, it was estimated to take six to eight months to secure a construction permit in Mexico City. Now, it takes around 24 to 36 months to obtain a license. This trend is also observed in the southern region of the country.

Towle highlighted that there has been a recent increase in housing production in this part of Mexico, particularly in Tabasco, due to the construction of the Dos Bocas refinery. However, he clarified that these are projects that started four or five years ago. During the pandemic, federal, state, and municipal offices were closed, making permit acquisition difficult.

The housing production seen in the southeastern region of Mexico was already underway before the pandemic. The specialist also noted that labor competition in the region has further affected production. Many workers have been drawn to projects such as the Tren Maya or the Dos Bocas refinery, leading to a shortage of workers for house building in some southern areas.