When a natural disaster destroys thousands of homes, the first response that comes to mind is rebuilding: constructing new houses, apartment buildings, and neighborhoods. Yet preparing land, designing projects, obtaining permits, carrying out construction work, and delivering permanent housing can take years. Meanwhile, families need a safe place to live.

In 2026, IDB Invest provided Habi with financing in Colombian pesos of up to the equivalent of $50 million. The transaction provides funding to support a portfolio of loans originated by Habi and backed by mortgages on eligible homes the company manages and markets. In doing so, the operation expands Habi’s capacity to mobilize existing housing and strengthen secondary market liquidity for low- and middle-income families.

This capability has gained added relevance following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Colombia on August 10, 2026, as efficiently mobilizing existing housing stock can help accelerate recovery.

Habi and the Dynamics of the Secondary Housing Market

Habi is a Colombian real estate technology (proptech) company that uses data, technology, and financial solutions to facilitate buying and selling existing homes. Its model aims to reduce key frictions in the secondary housing market: fragmented information, pricing challenges, complex documentation processes, and long gaps between the decision to sell and the closing of a transaction.

These frictions limit liquidity in the secondary market. By organizing information, facilitating property valuations, and standardizing processes, proptechs can streamline transactions and help homes change owners or occupants more efficiently. Sellers can unlock capital tied up in their properties more quickly, while buyers gain access to a better-organized housing supply with lower search costs.

This financing is designed to strengthen precisely those capabilities. Rather than supporting the construction of new housing units, it enhances a platform that can mobilize existing housing stock, expand access to affordable housing for low- and middle-income households, and reduce transaction closing times.

A Gap That New Construction Cannot Close on Its Own

The need to make better use of existing housing did not arise solely from the earthquake. Colombia was already facing a significant housing challenge. According to the National Quality of Life Survey conducted by DANE, in 2025 the housing deficit affected 4.81 million households (25.6% of the total). Of these, only 1.18 million required a new home, while the remainder faced deficiencies that could potentially be addressed through improvements to the existing housing stock.

This challenge is compounded by the slowdown in new construction. Between January-July 2021 and the same period in 2026, housing starts fell by nearly 42%, from 100,535 to 58,462 units. This trend illustrates that expanding access to housing depends not only on building new units, but also on improving, repurposing, and more efficiently mobilizing the homes that already exist.

These figures do not imply that all vacant or available homes can be used immediately. Some are not located where they are needed, are not affordable, or do not meet adequate habitability standards. They do show, however, that closing the housing gap exclusively through new construction would be insufficient in the short and medium term.

Existing Housing as a Bridge to Recovery

International experience confirms that housing recovery requires multiple solutions simultaneously. Following various disasters, countries such as Japan, New Zealand, and the United States combined emergency shelter, rental assistance, the use of available private properties, and permanent reconstruction efforts. The lesson for Colombia is that existing housing stock can bridge initial emergency shelter and long-term housing, especially when new supply takes several years to develop.

In a fragmented market, this mobilization depends on knowing which homes are available, where they are located, how much they cost, and whether they meet legal and safety requirements. Proptechs can contribute by providing up-to-date housing inventories, property valuations, document verification, and connections between available homes and households benefiting from rental, homeownership, or relocation subsidies. They can also provide aggregated market information to help public authorities better target their interventions.

Technology for a Faster Response

Proptechs do not replace structural inspections, housing subsidies, or public decisions regarding resettlement. However, they can help housing markets operate with better information, greater liquidity, and stronger responsiveness. This becomes especially valuable during emergencies, when reducing the time required for property searches, valuations, and transactions can help families access safe housing more quickly.

Habi provides an illustrative example of digital infrastructure that can support housing recovery, though it is not a complete disaster response solution. By financing Habi’s capacity to mobilize existing housing stock, IDB Invest contributes to the development of a more dynamic secondary housing market under normal conditions and, potentially, a more effective one in times of emergency.

After an earthquake, rebuilding better is essential. But rebuilding does not always mean constructing new homes. It can also mean mobilizing existing housing more quickly and efficiently.