Brazil begins Housing Program for homeless people

Nightly, Approximately 80 thousand individuals are forced to spend the night in the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil, while neoliberal governments remain inactive in the face of a housing crisis that is aggravated year after year, this is what Ignacio Lemus, a TELESUR correspondent in the South American Giant.

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“For those who live in the weather, having a home could completely transform their lives. They would have the opportunity to improve their quality of life, access a job, rebuild their families and enjoy a dignified existence. We are exposed to the sun and the rain, suffering hunger and thirst, ”said Neto, one of the citizens who fight to survive in the streets of this metropolis.

With the aim of addressing this problem, The Brazilian government has implemented a program that finances 100 percent of the housing acquisition cost for homeless people. These properties represent 3 percent of homes in projects subsidized by the program residential lease My house, my life.

The initiative will include comprehensive actions aimed at guaranteeing employment and ensure that the children of the beneficiaries attend school.

Jader Barbakho Filho, Minister of Cities, commented that They have reached 38 cities where the majority of the population in street situations are concentrated and there have begun the process. These municipalities, when the works of the program My house, my life They reach 50 percent of their progress, they must necessarily allocate 3 percent of their departments or homes to those who are in this situation.

Despite the remarkable increase in buildings in the last decade due to the flexibility of urban regulations, Sao Paulo has maintained a relatively low demographic density compared to other citiesmainly due to real estate speculation around the rental of apartments. There are more unoccupied homes than homeless people.

“The street population will continue to grow everywhere. Let’s look at how this figure will increase in the United States with current policies that are being implemented there. The more effective neoliberalism is, the more homeless individuals there will be, ”said Father Julio Lancelotti, a reference in assistance to the population in a street situation.

The measure promoted by the Brazilian government represents a first step. However, according to the Poly Institute Urban Observatory, Brazil lacks adequate records on empty spaces in cities. This lack of information hinders the structural actions necessary to address the housing problem. In the country, about 328 thousand people are in a street situation.