In 1951 Currie became the founding director of the Inter-American Housing Center (CINVA)  in Bogotá, Colombia, an Organization of American States (OAS) program to address a severe shortage of low-cost housing throughout Latin America. He traveled to Puerto Rico to see “Aided self-help” housing, which was central to the Center’s approach. Aided self-help meant that national governments, local communities, and homeowners shared costs and responsibilities. The homeowners received technical assistance to build their own houses.