Housing assistance for earthquake victims: the real route

On August 10th, the earth shook at 7:34 a.m., and thousands of families in western Colombia took to the streets with only the clothes on their backs. Six weeks later, the most frequent question has changed: it's no longer what happened, but whether the landlord can evict you and if the Citizen's Income payment will be canceled. housing assistance for earthquake victims They are implemented in stages and are not requested through a national form. On September 17, the Government issued two decrees that change the process for both landlords and those receiving transfers. Here's what they say, with the source alongside.

What housing assistance is available today in Colombia for earthquake victims?

On August 14, 2026, the Ministry of Housing published Together we rebuild the homeland, The housing pillar of the Miracle Reconstruction Plan has four fronts: diagnosis of houses and rental subsidies provided by the UNGRD with territorial entities; Miracle Housing, which seeks completed social interest projects with Camacol; improvements for houses with repairable damage, and a rural component with the Agrarian Bank and the National Federation of Coffee Growers.

In September, two new pieces of legislation arrived: Decree 1423, which protects renters, and Legislative Decree 1426, which safeguards payments from the Social Prosperity program. Neither is activated on its own. They all begin at the same point: that your situation is registered by the risk management authorities.

Can I be evicted if the earthquake affected my home?

For now, in most cases, no. Decree 1423 of September 17, 2026, suspends evictions and the return of leased properties for six months when the tenant has proven direct damage caused by the earthquake. The debt is not erased: rent continues to be paid, and any arrears are settled through payment agreements.

There are two exceptions. If the UNGRD (National Unit for Disaster Risk Management), the territorial risk management council, or a police inspector orders an evacuation because the house may collapse or is uninhabitable, that order must be obeyed, because it protects your life. And if the owner lost their own home in the earthquake and needs the one they rent to you for themselves or their immediate family, they must notify you in writing at least 30 days in advance and provide proof.

The decree brings other relief measures for six months. If your contract was due to expire between August 10 and December 31, 2026, you can request a six-month extension from the expiration date (and if you prefer to leave, you only need to give eight days' notice and won't pay a penalty). The annual rent adjustment that would have fallen during that period is postponed and then paid in equal installments, without late payment interest. And properties that were already being rented before the earthquake cannot be rented again for more than the last rent charged, plus the previous year's Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Note this: the protection doesn't cover an entire municipality simply because it's in a state of emergency. It's for individuals and contracts with documented impact, although not initially appearing in a registry doesn't exclude you if you can prove it through other means.

Who decides if your home is habitable, repairable, or needs to be demolished?

The family and the landlord don't decide: the decision is made by the technical review conducted by the local government in conjunction with the municipal risk management council. If habitable, there is no rental assistance. If the damage is recoverable, the solution is improvement. If demolition is required, you enter the new housing program.

That document serves as your proof, both for the subsidy and now for Decree 1423. In Manizales, the support is provided upon presentation of the property inspection form, in original and copy, along with your ID. If you left in an emergency and no one has come to inspect the property, the first step is to request a visit from the mayor's office.

How does temporary rental support work and who provides it?

Of all the housing assistance programs for earthquake victims, this is the most complicated. The amount and duration are set by each municipality by decree; the UNGRD (National Unit for Disaster Risk Management) provides the resources. The case published with a number is Manizales: Ordinary Decree 0276 of August 14, 2026, allocates 357,000 pesos per month, one month to those who were renting and three months to evacuated homeowners, and it is administered by the Colombian Red Cross, Caldas Chapter. In Pereira, Armenia, or Quibdó, the amount may be different, so ask at the mayor's office which decree applies there. Outside of the emergency measures, there are the solidarity rental subsidy and the rental subsidy.

What happens to Citizen's Income, Colombia Mayor, and Youth Income if I live in an affected municipality?

Your payment shouldn't be suspended because of the earthquake. Legislative Decree 1426 of September 17, 2026, allows Prosperidad Social to suspend, for up to 12 months, verifications that the earthquake prevents, such as school enrollment, medical checkups, or vaccinations. This is not automatic, nor does it create a new subsidy.

Covers Citizen's Income, VAT compensation, Greater Colombia y Youth Income. In the affected municipalities, according to Prosperidad Social, there are 258,018 households receiving Citizen Income and 1,255,622 people receiving Colombia Mayor benefits, among others.

One step is missing: Prosperidad Social needs to issue an administrative act specifying which municipalities are included and for which verifications. Until that is issued, no one can guarantee that your municipality is included. The value of the transfers will not increase either: it protects those who were already beneficiaries on August 10th. We follow the dates for each cycle in the... subsidy payment schedule.

What happens to families who lost their entire home?

That's where Vivienda Milagro comes in, and keys have already been handed over. On September 15, the government announced 1,000 homes with private investment and delivered the first one in Quibdó: 500 are going to Chocó, 235 to Valle del Cauca, 100 to Caldas, 100 to Dosquebradas, 40 to Quindío, and 25 to Antioquia. That same day in Buenaventura, the first of 30 houses in the Colinas de Comfamar II project was delivered.

What isn't made public is how each family is chosen. If your house is slated for demolition, the census and the technical inspection are what put you on that list. Miracle House We explain where the program comes from, and in What is social housing? What type of house is being offered?.

How many families were affected and why do the numbers change every day?

The earthquake registered a magnitude of 7.4, with its epicenter near San José del Palmar, in Chocó, according to the Colombian Geological Survey. Reports from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), cited in Decree 1426, indicate that 496 municipalities in 16 departments and 196,614 families have been affected. Decree 1423 cites figures from September 9th: 36,326 homes destroyed and 202,002 damaged.

In August we were talking about 472 municipalities. The numbers are rising because the censuses arrive in stages, and what determines whether you qualify for housing aid for earthquake victims is not the national total: it's the census of your municipality with your property included in it.

Sources: Together we rebuild the homeland (Ministry of Housing, August 14, 2026), Decree 1423 of 2026, Social Prosperity on Decree 1426 (September 18, 2026), 1,000 homes (September 15, 2026) and Colombian Geological Survey. The temporary rental is set by each municipal decree.

Common mistakes that leave a family out

• Wait for a national form. There is no single online registration. The process begins at the mayor's office and involves a technical inspection of the property.
• Stopping paying rent, believing that the decree forgave it. Decree 1423 halts the eviction, but the debt remains. Seek a written payment agreement.
• Paying for a "program" that doesn't exist. On September 14, the Ministry of Housing warned about the fake «"My Mobile Home"», which collects fees on behalf of the entity. Its procedures are free. See our guide to subsidy scams.

Frequently asked questions about aid after the earthquake

How much do they offer for temporary rent?
It depends on the decree from your mayor's office. In Manizales, it was set at 357,000 pesos per month. There isn't a single, published national amount.

Does Decree 1423 stop me from having to pay rent?
No. It suspends evictions and postpones rent adjustments, but the rent is still due. If there's no agreement and you send the landlord a sworn statement of vulnerability, the arrears are divided into six equal installments.

What if my house is still standing but has cracks?
This is the improvement scenario. You still need the technical inspection: it's what determines if the damage is repairable.

How Hepacom accompanies you

We are the Hechos Para la Comunidad Foundation and we work for the decent housing in Colombia. We do not manage or allocate subsidies, and we do not charge for explaining how housing assistance works for earthquake victims. We keep this information up to date and support families so they don't have to go to the office alone. If you are an affected family, or a company that wants to contribute to the reconstruction, write to us at donaciones@hepacom.org or in contact us.

A house is not a simple transaction. And a tenant whose contract has expired during an emergency has more rights than they realize.

Last updated: September 2026.

Information guide. The procedure is handled by the official entity. Verify on the official channel. Hepacom does not charge fees or manage payments. The figures change with each UNGRD report, and Decree 1426 is applied according to the administrative act of Prosperidad Social.