AID cooperative agreement no. FAO-0192-A-00-3055-00 with the Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF) in support of its proposal, entitled `Innovative regional approach to housing delivery for the informal sector through housing cooperatives in South America"

One of CHF"s key strategies will be institution-building support for nonprofit, but economically self-sustaining technical services organizations (TSOs), which will serve as apex resources for housing cooperatives in each targeted country. CHF will assist the TSOs at the national level with their programs to help primary cooperative housing societies to facilitate low-income housing delivery. In addition, Peace Corps volunteers will assist housing cooperatives with technical aspects of loan applications and house construction as well as with capacity building. Planned outcomes are as follows: policies in at least 3 countries acknowledge the importance of TSOs and housing cooperatives; at least 2 TSOs (in Ecuador and Paraguay) have been strengthened or established and at least 3 others (in Bolivia, Peru, and Chile) have been assisted and strengthened; about 50 cooperatives have been helped to improve their operations and another 20 have received special assistance in initiating infrastructure improvements and/or new loans for their members; and 700 families directly benefit from installation of basic infrastructure and/or home expansion or construction loans