Housing Subsidy from the Compensation Fund 2026: Requirements, Caps in SMMLV and Application (Compensar, Colsubsidio, Comfama) and How It Works Alongside the National New Housing Subsidy

Quick answer: The caja's housing subsidy is a contribution that is not repaid. It is requested by the contributing affiliate, the household cannot exceed 4 SMMLV in income, and the caja only assigns it if the household qualifies and there are funds. Applying is not the same as receiving it.

Many people think that having contributions to the caja means the subsidy arrives on its own. It doesn't: there is qualification, budget and, almost always, a separate mortgage loan. This guide covers buying new housing, building on your own land and home improvement. If you are paying rent, it is a different process and we explain it in the caja rental subsidy guide.

Who can apply in 2026

The caja subsidy is governed by Decree 1077 of 2015 and is requested at the caja where you are affiliated. According to the Superintendencia del Subsidio Familiar (ssf.gov.co, consulted on October 19, 2026), the form is free and the assignment depends on qualification and available funds.

• The applicant is the contributing affiliate. At Comfama it can be an employee, a pensioner or self-employed; a beneficiary cannot apply.
• Household income cannot exceed 4 SMMLV. The 2026 minimum wage is COP 1.750.905 (Decree 1469 of 2025).
• To buy new housing, the household must not be a homeowner. To build on your own land, you must own the lot; to improve, you must own a home with deficiencies.
• Not having previously received a family housing subsidy, with the exceptions that each caja and the national program publish.

Watch out: what counts is the income of the household applying, not the net pay of one person. Health, pension and withholdings do not lower the SMMLV requirement; if you want to understand the difference, see how to calculate net salary and payroll deductions.

The 2026 matrix in SMMLV

For new housing with parafiscal funds, the decree sets maximums, not guaranteed amounts:

A household earning exactly 2 SMMLV falls in the 30 band. As minimum-wage arithmetic (not as an assignment letter), 2 SMMLV equals COP 3.501.810 and 4 SMMLV equals COP 7.003.620 in monthly household income.

For caja building on own land and urban improvement, the legal maximum is 18 SMMLV. Compensar publishes for 2026 up to 18 SMMLV for urban construction and up to 70 SMMLV for rural, with peso figures it marks as approximate, and this modality applies only in Bogotá and Cundinamarca. It also requires at least 10% of complementary funds over the construction budget.

As an example of a specific caja, Comfama publishes for 2026 new urban housing from COP 35.018.100 up to COP 52.527.150, and COP 31.516.290 for urban construction and improvement. These are Comfama values, not a national rate; check with your caja.

How it works with the national subsidy

The order matters: first you obtain the caja subsidy, valid and unapplied, and then the national new housing program subsidy (Minvivienda, consulted on October 19, 2026).

Concurrence requires household income of up to 2 SMMLV, Sisbén IV between A1 and D20 and the rest of the program's requirements. In that case the Government assigns 20 SMMLV, regardless of subgroup. The official page describes a combined amount of up to 50 SMMLV when the caja assigns 30, but the caja may assign less: don't count it as guaranteed money.

Without concurrence, Fonvivienda may assign up to 30 SMMLV to households in Sisbén IV A1–C8 and up to 20 SMMLV to C9–D20 (Decree 490 of 2023). Do not take any quota counter from the beginning of the year as the current balance; confirm availability directly.

Applying at three cajas: not identical

They share the legal framework and the 4 SMMLV cap, but channels, calendar and documents differ.

Comfama

Online application or form at offices. It requires a pre-approved mortgage and, according to its page, gives 36 months to apply the subsidy to an eligible project, extendable by 24. That period is Comfama's, not all cajas'. It has six closing dates a year; check the dates on its page, since we do not list them here. If you are not awarded, you must update the application before the first closing of the following year.

Colsubsidio

According to its 2026 PDF schedule (consulted on October 19, 2026), employment certifications must use the 2026 SMMLV and are valid for 60 days. The current cycle closes on October 22, 2026, with assignment on October 30. New housing and rental close on November 17, 2026; building on own land and improvement, on December 15, 2026. These dates expire quickly: check the current PDF.

Compensar

For building on your own land, follow the step-by-step on its page (form, property validation, offeror, filing, assignment letter and construction), only in Bogotá and Cundinamarca. Seniority and requirements vary depending on whether you are an employee, pensioner or self-employed.

What to check before signing for the home

The subsidy does not choose the property. If it is for social interest housing (VIS), the price must fit within the cap: according to a Minvivienda opinion of June 24, 2025, the general cap of the 2022–2026 National Development Plan is 135 SMMLV, and Decree 1607 of 2022 keeps 150 SMMLV only in the municipalities listed from seven agglomerations. A 2026 draft decree is under consultation and is not current regulation. The actual price is confirmed in pesos in the promise of sale.

If you are buying off-plan and plan to transfer your quota, the transfer of fiduciary rights is a different procedure from applying for the subsidy.

According to active listings on Colombia Move (October 19, 2026), the housing section has 351 active listings; 203 are apartments.

My advice: don't pay anyone to "hold your place in line" or to guarantee the subsidy. If the caja does not assign you due to budget, the thing to do is update the application at that same caja. And remember the subsidy does not replace the loan or the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

❓ Is the caja subsidy a loan I repay later?

No, it is a family housing contribution that is not repaid as a loan. The caja assigns it if the household meets the requirements and if there are funds available; applying does not guarantee receiving it. Separately, you usually need a mortgage loan for the rest of the home's value (verify with the official source).

❓ How much can my household earn in 2026 to apply?

Up to 4 SMMLV in household income. The 2026 minimum wage is COP 1.750.905, according to Decree 1469 of 2025. It counts the income of the entire household applying, not the net salary of one person (verify with the official source).

❓ How much subsidy can I receive if I earn up to 2 salaries or more than 2 and up to 4?

For new housing, the rule sets a maximum of 30 SMMLV in the first band and 20 SMMLV in the second. It is a ceiling, not an automatic assignment; each caja confirms the amount you are entitled to based on budget and qualification (verify with the official source).

❓ Can I combine the caja subsidy with the Government's?

Only with household income of up to 2 SMMLV, Sisbén IV between A1 and D20, and the caja subsidy already valid and unapplied. In that case the national program contributes 20 SMMLV. The caja is processed first, then the national program (verify with the official source).

❓ Do Compensar, Colsubsidio and Comfama require the same things and open on the same day?

No. They share the framework of Decree 1077 and the 4 SMMLV cap, but seniority, channels, calendar and territorial coverage differ. Colsubsidio closes a cycle on October 22, 2026; Comfama does not publish those same dates in the text consulted (verify with the official source).

❓ Does it work if I am already a homeowner or have already received a subsidy?

For buying new housing, being a homeowner blocks the caja subsidy. Having previously received a family housing subsidy also prevents it, with exceptions that the national program describes for improvement or rental. Confirm your case with your caja before applying (verify with the official source).

❓ Can anyone charge me to process the form?

You don't need to. The Superintendencia del Subsidio Familiar indicates that the form is requested at the caja and is free. Be wary of anyone who guarantees the assignment or charges you to hold your place in line (verify with the official source).