Bolivia's President Morales Promises Houses For Newlyweds
August 2, 2009 - Easy Bourse

LA PAZ (AFP)--Bolivia's President Evo Morales has promised each pair of newlyweds a house, under a program launched by his populist government, which faces elections in December, the newspaper La Razon reported Sunday.

"To every couple who marries, the state has to give them a house. That will be our program and the government is obliged to meet this demand," Morales was quoted as saying.

Morales, who is running for re-election in the December vote, gave no other details of the program.
But at a public event in the coca-growing town of Villa Tunari in central Bolivia, where he enjoys strong support, Morales reminded voters of the social policies his government has undertaken since he assumed office in January 2006.

They include bonuses for school age children, for Bolivians over the age of 60 and for pregnant women.

The state-run National Institute of Statistics estimated in 2005 that 22,000 couples marry in Bolivia each year.
The government already has sent house construction and home sales soaring by providing low-interest, 20-year loans for up to $15,000.