With the goal of encouraging practices for Technical Assistance for Social Interest Housing (ATHIS), the Council of Architecture and Urbanism of Brazil (CAU/BR) mandated in 2017 that all state-level councils (CAU/UFs) allocate 2% of their budgets to support ATHIS initiatives. In alignment with CAU/BR guidelines, the Santa Catarina Council (CAU/SC) established the Special Commission for Technical Assistance (CTEC) in 2017. Composed of a group of architects and urban planners, the commission was tasked with coordinating the development of public and free technical assistance policies, as provided for by Law 11.888/2008.
In collaboration with the firm AH! Arquitetura Humana, the commission developed a Strategic Implementation Plan for Technical Assistance for Social Interest Housing (PEI-ATHIS) to be applied in the state of Santa Catarina. In 2018, the CTEC became a permanent body and was renamed the Special Commission for ATHIS (CATHIS).
Completed in April 2018, the plan consists of four volumes: a Diagnostic Report, the Strategic Implementation Plan, a book of Normative Proposals, and a summary booklet. The PEI-ATHIS is currently being presented in various cities across Santa Catarina and at other national forums, disseminating and fostering ATHIS practices among public authorities, the community, and interested professionals. Each presentation has sparked distinct and enriching discussions, tailored to local specificities and the composition of the audience. Consequently, CATHIS, in coordination with the CAU/BR Professional Policy Commission, is proposing a national-level event to conclude the 2018 annual cycle.
