Doubling the Crisis: Residential Trajectories, Barriers, and Housing Access Strategies Among Two Migrant Populations in Valparaíso and Viña Del Mar, Chile

This presentation explores the housing challenges faced by migrants within recent mobility patterns. It aims to examine the main difficulties they encounter when seeking adequate housing and the strategies they employ to secure accommodation in a highly uncertain context. Certain residential trajectories of "living in motion" emerge, allowing for a discussion on residential mobility. These trajectories serve as useful tools to understand the residential practices of low-income migrants.

Chile has seen significant growth in Latin American and Caribbean immigration in recent decades (CEPAL and ILO, 2017), accompanied by major changes in migration patterns. While some flows, like those from Andean countries, have remained stable or intensified, others, such as Venezuelan and Haitian migrants, have surged. This research contrasts the residential experiences of these two groups, now the largest migrant communities in Chile. Both groups face racialization, manifested through institutional discrimination (Bonhomme & Alfaro, 2022). This study highlights the difficulties these migrants face in securing housing and the strategies they develop to navigate these challenges.

The analysis explores the dual crises of migration and housing in Chile. Conceptually, it discusses the transformation of migration in the region, focusing on the influx of non-traditional migrants in Chile's history. Haitian migrants, who tend to be more vulnerable, face cultural and linguistic barriers, while Venezuelans, generally better educated, experience a broader range of conditions. These migration patterns coincide with Chile's ongoing housing crisis, marked by a housing deficit of approximately 650,000 units, rising rents, and an increase in informal settlements. These factors create barriers to housing access in the metropolitan area of Valparaíso, shaping the geography of residential mobility.