About 800 Km (500 miles) north of Santiago, the port city of Caldera is located in the beautiful desert region known as Atacama (Region III). It has approximately 16,000 residents, and swells with tourists and visitors who flock to its scenic beaches during the holiday season. Given that Caldera is a heavily touristed area, there are striking contrasts and differences between the quality of life for its permanent inhabitants and its seasonal residents, and the economic divide here is very apparent. The problem of poverty housing most heavily affects the permanent population of Caldera, and the region's government is not effectively addressing the situation. A recent government survey provided direct proof of the problem when it found that 24% of the population in Atacama is considered "poor and indigent."