Domicem and Habitat: better homes for vulnerable families in Dominican Republic

Domicem, a Dominican company of our Group, and Habitat for Humanity Dominican Republic have formalized a strategic alliance to develop an intervention project as part of the "100,000 Floors to Play" initiative, aimed at vulnerable families in Sabana Grande de Palenque, in the province of San Cristóbal.
The project aims to support 100 people, facilitating access to a better quality of life for families by replacing dirty or deteriorated floors with polished concrete floors, thereby ensuring access to housing with adequate sanitary conditions. This alliance is part of the regional initiative “100,000 Floors to Play” by Habitat Latin America and the Inter-American Cement Federation (FICEM), together with the local partner, the Dominican Association of Portland Cement Producers (ADOCEM).
Similar interventions have already been carried out in other Latin American countries, demonstrating how improving domestic infrastructure, even something as simple as cementing floors, has a direct impact on public health and the quality of life of the population.
Studies by the World Bank and the University of Berkeley have shown that the use of concrete floors has led to significant health improvements:
• A 70% reduction in parasitic infections in children.
• A 49% decrease in diarrhea and an 81% reduction in anemia.
• Cognitive improvement ranging from 36% to 96%.
• Among adults, improved housing satisfaction has led to significant reductions in depression (-52%) and stress (-45%).
Considering that in the Dominican Republic over 2 million housing units need improvements, with approximately 150,000 homes still having dirt floors, Domicem has fully committed to this project. The goal is to replace 100,000 floors in Latin America by 2028 and ensure 10,000 concrete floors in the Dominican Republic alone, with a particular focus on vulnerable families.