On July 25, construction began on the Zona Azul housing project, located in Nicoya, Guanacaste. The project was awarded the Blue Ecological Flag in the Sustainable Construction (BAECS) category for design and will provide housing for 250 families in Guanacaste.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Guillermo Carazo, Minister of Housing and Human Settlements and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Housing Mortgage Bank (BANHVI); Walter Muñoz, Acting General Manager of BANHVI; Mayela Rojas, General Manager of Grupo Mutual, the project’s authorized entity; municipal officials; future beneficiary families; and representatives from the construction company SYN S.A.

This project represents an investment of ₡8,541 million for BANHVI and was designed to integrate seamlessly into the existing urban structure and align with the land-use planning of the Nicoya canton.

Guillermo Carazo, Minister of Housing and Human Settlements, commented that “the start of construction marks a milestone in our vision for territorial development and social inclusion. Zona Azul demonstrates that sustainability and social justice go hand in hand. The Blue Ecological Flag awarded to this project is not an isolated achievement, but rather the standard for sustainable construction that we aim to bring to every home and social housing project in the country. Our commitment is to ensure an adequate, safe, and environmentally friendly housing solution for the most vulnerable families in Nicoya.”

This project includes a total of 250 housing units, comprising 210 standard-sized homes, 28 homes for large families, and 12 homes for people with disabilities.

The project’s sidewalks will feature tactile paving, which helps people with visual impairments better orient themselves; the homes will have LED lighting inside, a system for managing recyclable and compostable materials, and a space for a vegetable garden.

The homes will have ceramic flooring, interior and exterior plasterwork, paint, and interior doors. This complies with the new technical criteria for housing design and construction established in Decree No. 43713-MP-MIVAH.

BANHVI General Manager Walter Muñoz noted that, due to its location, the area offers a wide range of urban services, which will provide a better quality of life for the project’s future residents.

“Our main objective is for social housing projects to provide the highest standards of comfort, health, and safety for their residents, while minimizing the impact on the environment. We are very pleased that, in addition to addressing the housing needs of the families who need it most, we are contributing to economic development through job creation and productive linkages,” he said.

The project includes paved public streets, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, green spaces, a stormwater drainage system, a drinking water supply system, and an electrical grid, all of which will be constructed to standards equivalent to those of the project’s internal works and are intended for subsequent acceptance by the Municipality of Nicoya.

Mayela Rojas, General Manager of Grupo Mutual, stated, “Grupo Mutual is an authorized entity of the National Financial System for Housing; we are a sustainable organization, which is why we generate financial, social, and environmental results. Our most important social program is the distribution of funds from the family housing subsidy, a responsibility we take very seriously, as our work goes beyond simply overseeing the investment of these resources; it means ensuring that each project results in safe homes, jobs, sustainable communities, and better opportunities for families. Zona Azul represents an important step for Nicoya’s development and reaffirms our long-standing commitment to contributing to social well-being through housing solutions that transform lives and strengthen community development.”

This residential development will add 11,000 square meters of new construction, which in turn will create approximately 850 jobs—both direct and indirect—thanks to the resulting supply chain effects.

In addition, families will participate in BANHVI’s Social Support Program (PAS), which strengthens community life, promotes peaceful conflict resolution, and reinforces values such as respect and solidarity.

Communications Unit July 25, 2026

F-UCO-BP-017-2026 – Start of Construction in the Blue Zone.

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