Before the Increase in the homeless population in São Paulothe town hall invests in modular houses with 18m² as housing for the homeless. 2,000 units are to be delivered by the end of this year. the first village was inaugurated in Canindé in the North Zone in December. Another front will be aid, between R$ 600 and R$ 1,200, for those who welcome people in social need.
These initiatives are part of the decree that created the program reunion, the new municipal policy for the street population, due to be published in the coming days. With the Pandemic and the deepening of the socioeconomic crisis, the total number of homeless people increased by 31% between 2019 and 2021 according to the latest City Hall census, there are almost 31,000 homeless people.
The management Ricardo Nunes (MDB) emphasizes the social sector as one of its main tasks, but in everyday life the citizens see the problem more and more clearly on the street families in tents or under overpasses are no longer uncommon. Among the critics of professionals is the difficulty of public power to create integrated, largescale and longterm strategies to solve the problem.
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Ricardo Santos, his wife Gilmara and their daughters at City Hall’s makeshift housing complex for the homeless in São Paulo. Photo: Alex Silva/Estadão
Modular homes are different from emergency shelters: the idea is that people stay there for up to two years. The program is inspired by the Housing First concept, which prioritizes housing as a starting point for other social rights of street people such as education, health and work. The movement, started in the United States, inspires initiatives in Spain, Canada, Japan and France.
The first Vila Reencontro in Canindé was built in the former Companhia Municipal de Transportes Coletivos (CMTC) club near Shopping D for R$2.796 million. There are 40 residential units for 160 people all are occupied.
Furnished house with number
the little houses they have bathrooms, sinks and are furnished with beds, refrigerators, twoburner stoves and wardrobes. There are potted plants at the entrance to the units. They are metallic structures that resemble containers and even in the blazing sun on Friday on the day of the visit to the Estao At the site, it wasn’t overly hot in the area.
The focus is on families with children up to four people who have been using the street as a home for less than two years. Those who live there must abide by some rules set by the International Service Volunteers Association (AVSI), which administers the service. You must arrive before 10:00 p.m., except in exceptional medical or professional circumstances, and show your ID at the entrance.
Visitors cannot receive them for the time being a point of regret for mechanic Eduardo Severino Silva, 30, who has lived there for the past two weeks with his wife Aline Souza, 34, and their two daughters City Hall claims the restriction is temporary and can revised at the next residents’ meeting. On the other hand they have wifi and space for kids to play.
The valet Ricardo Augusto Santos, 43, points out Houses have numbers, which means a mailing address. “If you live in an emergency shelter without a fixed address, the companies don’t call. This moment is a renewal for me,” he says. Before he lived there, Ricardo, his wife Gilmara and their two daughters were in the temporary reception center in Canindé.
:quality(80)/cloudfrontuseast1.images.arcpublishing.com/estadao/C254TDGYWNAJ5M26KVQBL7HBW4.jpg "In view of the increase in homeless people, SP builds micro houses and helps up to R$ 1,200 for those who shelter the homeless Estadão 4")
The city of São Paulo intends to deliver 2,000 modular homes by the end of the year. Photo: Alex Silva/Estadão
Those who live there are not allowed to drink or take drugs. When abused, they are supported by other programs such as Redenção and the Integrated Therapeutic Welcome Service (SIAT), city hall says.
Administrator’s experience in organizing Venezuelan refugee and migrant camps in roraima helped found collectives within the village. One resident of each house belongs to the groups responsible for gardening, cleaning and feeding. Selfgovernment is a novelty for the street population. At first people were surprised; now they are getting used to it. When visiting Estaoone of the residents swept the living area.
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When asked about the discrepancy between the number of homes planned and the size of the homeless population vacancies account for about 25% of the total number of homeless Secretary of Social Welfare Carlos Bezerra Jr. cites other initiatives such as The Increase in vacancies in reception centers and hotels from 1.7,000 to 3.3,000 and occupation of vacant public buildings, like six constructions of Fundação Casa. “We get 50 people off the streets every day,” he says.
Given the amount of vulnerable people coming to the city monthly 600, according to the municipality the Secretariat wants to establish a Metropolitan Committee with the municipalities in Greater São Paulo to discuss and implement public policies for this public.
:quality(80)/cloudfrontuseast1.images.arcpublishing.com/estadao/ILP7E6MIOFDUTICNS2QL7WDZQU.jpg "In view of the increase in homeless people, SP builds micro houses and helps up to R$ 1,200 for those who shelter the homeless Estadão 5")
The houses in Vila Reencontro are modular, metallic and have 18 square meters, similar to containers. Photo: Alex Silva/Estadão
Owners of vacant properties or pensions are the target of new aid
The reunification aid, on the other hand, serves as financial aid for those who take in the homeless. It offers two different ranges: BRL 600 per person admitted or BRL 1,200 per family (cohabiting couple or parent with one or more children).
It will aim to “let, rent or accommodate homeless people in full or partial or shared housing units,” according to the text of the new policy’s draft decree, to which the report had access. In practice, the focus is on owners of pensions with unused space; Owners of vacant properties or people who have a free room in their house. The help is offered for 24 months.
Bezerra Jr. says that this law is still in the regulatory and technical detailing phase between the secretariats involved. After that, the document still needs the approval of the mayor, so there are still open questions. Among them are the frequency of tenant support, the methodology and the eligibility, which experts see as one of the biggest challenges for such an idea. One of the requirements for receiving the monthly contribution is, for example, not to use alcohol or other drugs.
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:quality(80)/cloudfrontuseast1.images.arcpublishing.com/estadao/NIYKDDYIRJA6FHHZEQRPLJDQUQ.jpg "In view of the increase in homeless people, SP builds micro houses and helps up to R$ 1,200 for those who shelter the homeless Estadão 6")
Secretary Carlos Bezerra, for Development and Welfare, said he visited the Canadian cities of Vancouver and Toronto to share experiences on serving the homeless. Photo: Alex Silva/Estadão
Privacy and autonomy matter, experts say
for the priest Julius Lancellotti, Coordinator of the Pastoral do Povo de Rua of the Archdiocese of São Paulo, it would be interesting to adjust the program. “The project proposes autonomy, but the place has a cafeteria and an administrator. A more adequate response would be to invest in social spaces that generate more autonomy than an institutional space, with guardianship,” he says, a reference to the debate on helping the homeless.
Four meals a day are served at Vila Reencontro. City Hall says the measure is only temporary and families are becoming increasingly more autonomous.
According to Robson Mendonça, President of the Homeless People’s Movement, it is important to provide permanent housing, but modular homes “guarantee individuality and offer better conditions than hostels”.