Chile's Ministerio de Vivienda y Urbanismo announced a targeted digital materials-card programme on September 10, intended to reach 25,000 women-led households. The restricted subsidy is redeemable at hardware merchants with agreements with regional Serviu housing services. Applications for this call closed on October 9. [1][4]
Different repairs carry different subsidy ceilings
The September call covers roof repairs, bathroom repairs and installation or replacement of fences and gates. Applicants could choose one type of work for one dwelling. The published benefit amounts are 25 UF, 15 UF and up to 40 UF respectively. UF is Chile’s indexed unit of account; the chart retains that unit rather than applying a current peso conversion to an earlier call. [1][3]
September 2026 materials-card amounts by repair type
Published subsidy amounts for the three eligible work categories.
UF
Tap or hover for details. All values are also available in the data table.
Source
Programme terms, not actual awards or spending. One work category per dwelling; the amounts are not cumulative. Fences and gates have an announced ceiling of 40 UF.
Show data tableHide data table
| Category | Subsidy amount |
|---|---|
| Roof repairs | 25 UF |
| Bathroom repairs | 15 UF |
| Fences and gates | 40 UF |
Applicants also needed 1 UF in housing savings for roofs or bathrooms, or 2 UF for fences and gates. The resolution defines this as a blocked guarantee for completing the work, released after Serviu approves the administrative closure. It should not be treated as an irreversible buyer contribution added to the card’s face value. [3]
The card pays only for authorised materials bought from an approved merchant in the dwelling’s region. It excludes labour and transport. Materials must be bought within the first 12 months of the subsidy; the work must be evidenced before its 18-month validity ends. Both periods begin from publication of the beneficiary-selection resolution, not the September launch. [3]
An initial 600,000 UF allocation, subject to redistribution
Resolution 1314 sets a maximum allocation of 600,000 UF: 250,000 UF for roofs, 150,000 UF for bathrooms and 200,000 UF for fences and gates. The corresponding initial subsidy units are 10,000, 10,000 and 5,000, together explaining the announced 25,000-household target. These are programme allocations, not issued-card or redeemed-value totals. [3]
Initial September-call allocation by repair type
The resolution allocates a maximum 600,000 UF across the three work categories.
UF
Tap or hover for details. All values are also available in the data table.
Source
Initial national allocation in Resolution 1314/2026. Regional and work-category redistribution is permitted following applications; these are not final awards, card loads or merchant revenue.
Show data tableHide data table
| Category | Initial allocation |
|---|---|
| Roof repairs | 250,000 UF |
| Bathroom repairs | 150,000 UF |
| Fences and gates | 200,000 UF |
After applications, resources are distributed regionally according to demand and may be redistributed between work categories. Serviu evaluates applications; a subsequent ministerial selection resolution authorises beneficiaries to obtain the virtual card. Merchant claims must relate to listed materials and be submitted within subsidy validity. The reviewed documents do not establish completed distribution, redeemed value or incremental hardware-store sales. [3]
The card model predates this call: a June 2021 ministry announcement already described a digital materials gift card. That older programme is historical context, and its spending rules are not imported into the September 2026 call. [5]
On October 13 the ministry announced a separate 2.0 call, scheduled for November 9 to December 9, with revised eligibility and work categories. The figures above describe the closed September call and must not be read as the terms of that later programme. [6]
In this article
Maya Bennett
Maya Bennett covers customer loyalty, employee rewards and incentive programmes for Gift Card News.