Days after the tragic fire and collapse of the Wilton Paes de Almeida building in downtown São Paulo, which left fatalities and hundreds homeless, it is impossible not to question the future of social housing in Brazil.
Historically, most social housing programs have focused on constructing new housing units. However, according to urban planning and housing specialist Elisabete França, this approach is often detrimental to the social development of low- and middle-income citizens.
“The idea of homeownership has been culturally imposed in Brazil with greater force since the 1960s, forcing families to spend 30 years or more paying mortgages. Yet, in several cities and countries, there are other socially oriented housing options where people do not need to own their homes,” explains the architect and urban planner, who worked for ten years at the Secretariat of Planning and the Secretariat of Housing and Development for the city of São Paulo.
