Working for the Workers? Infonavit’s Creation and Its Foundational Motivations,1972-1976

Abstract

As Mexican society urbanized rapidly from 1950 to 1970, housing became a major issue for city inhabitants. This article contributes a specific focus on Infonavit as a major social housing project of the Mexican government. I argue that the Echeverría government created Infonavit in 1972 as one of its social welfare packages for three key reasons: (1) to rejuvenate the PRI’s claim to revolutionary legitimacy, (2) to resolve the perceived ills of mass urbanization and to create ideal urban citizens, and (3) to support economic development. However, I also demonstrate that Infonavit operated as an institution with a core interest in improving the conditions of Mexican workers that was also informed by the goal of creating ideal citizens. Although the politics of Infonavit’s creation was closely linked with PRI legitimacy, Infonavit staff built an institute that was motivated to serve the housing needs of low-income Mexican workers.