New regulation governs subsidies and incentives for social interest housing

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Technology issued Ministerial Agreement No. MIT-MIT-26-42-ACU, through which the Regulation Governing Access to Housing Subsidies and Incentives comes into effect. The regulation, signed on August 24, 2026, by the minister Eng. Roberto Xavier Luque Nuques, was published in Supplement No. 369 of the Official Registry on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, and repeals the previous agreement MIT-MIT-25-54-ACU from October 2025.

The regulation applies throughout the national territory and is mandatory for applicants and beneficiaries of social interest and public interest housing, as well as for developers, builders, decentralized autonomous governments, and financial entities. The update responds to the technical feasibility report MIT-SV-2026-052-INF, approved by the Undersecretariat of Housing on July 9, 2026, and seeks to strengthen project qualification procedures and access for low- and middle-income populations.

Subsidy Modalities

The regulation maintains the classification of social interest housing into three segments, each with its own state support scheme:

• First segment: full state subsidy for individuals and family units without their own home in situations of poverty, extreme poverty, or vulnerability.
• Second segment: partial state subsidy, with a value of up to 21 unified basic salaries (SBU), in social leasing modalities with an option to purchase and mortgage loans with an initial subsidy.
• Third segment: preferential interest rate for mortgage loans.
• Progressive housing: subsidy of up to 20 SBU, aimed at low- and middle-income individuals.

Requirements and Prioritization

To access the benefits, applicants must meet conditions such as being Ecuadorian citizens or resident foreigners with legal permanence, not having previously received another social interest housing subsidy, and allocating the support to their first and only home. The monthly income of the applicant and their family unit must not exceed 3.5 SBU, and they may not own another property nationwide, except for rural land with an appraisal lower than 20 SBU.

The Undersecretariat of Housing will prioritize the delivery of subsidies through a vulnerability summation methodology, assigning one point for each verified condition for each member of the family unit. The following prioritization criteria are considered:

• Families with older adults under their care.
• Families of victims of femicide and other violent deaths for gender-based reasons.
• Single-parent families with girls, boys, and adolescents.
• Pregnant women.
• Families with persons with disabilities.
• Families with persons with catastrophic, rare, or orphan diseases.
• Families exposed to sexual or domestic violence.
• Families from the peoples and nationalities of Ecuador.
• Repatriated or returned migrants.

Guarantees and Regulatory Transition

Beneficiaries of the first segment may not alienate the housing for at least ten (10) years from its registration in the Property Registry of the canton. In the event of death, divorce, or dissolution of a common-law union, the members of the family nucleus living in the home may continue the process.

The regulation includes transitional provisions for those who began their application under the previous agreements MIDUVI-MIDUVI-2023-0023-A (August 29, 2023), MIDUVI-MIDUVI-2024-0012-A, and MIDUVI-MIDUVI-2025-0001-A (February 28, 2025), who will maintain their qualification process according to the regulations in effect on the date their files were compiled.

The new regulation constitutes a key instrument for Ecuadorian families aspiring to dignified housing, by unifying eligibility criteria, subsidy amounts, and social prioritization mechanisms. Its application will allow for the organized delivery of public resources and give priority to households in situations of greater vulnerability, in line with the constitutional right to adequate housing.

Source: Official Registry of Ecuador, Supplement No. 369, September 15, 2026, Section I (official reference: Ministerial Agreement No. MIT-MIT-26-42-ACU).