Evaluating slum (favela) resettlements: The case of the Serra do Mar Project, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

a b s t r a c tSlum clearance and resettlement schemes have increasingly become a feature of everyday life in Brazil and the rest of the world. The right to decent housing can involve relocating slum families to places that not only fulfill the precepts of adequate housing but also enhance the self-respect and quality of life of these families. Resettlement can however also heighten their vulnerabilities. This article is the result of a study which sought to evaluate how the resettled residents of a housing complex had adapted to their new surroundings following their involuntary displacement from the slums "favelas" to a development with characteristics different from those commonly found in Brazilian social housing. The research method employed in our study used tools to collect the viewpoints of the different actors in the process, and to assess user satisfaction. The uncertainty measure was used to analyze the quantitative data. The results showed that (i) involuntary removal is not a determining factor in user satisfaction, and (ii) residents' satisfaction levels are more influenced by a number of positive factors, especially the location of the housing development and its associated services, facilities and opportunities that enhance their quality of life, than by any drawbacks arising from their forced removal from the "favelas". However, issues such as condominium management, buildings maintenance and higher costs may risk undermining the benefits of the project.

A New Conceptual Framework for Understanding Displacement: Bridging the Gaps in Displacement Literature between the Global South and the Global North

“…Another interesting case is that of the Serra do Mar project, Sao Paulo, Brazil (Cavalheiro and Abiko 2015). The development of an industrial area in the fringes of the city attracted workers from all over the country, and they informally occupied whatever land was available, leading to the emergence of a large squatter settlement known as Bairros-Cota in an environmentally sensitive area.…”

Understanding Housing Management by Low-income Homeowners: Technical, Organisational and Sociocultural Challenges in Chilean Condominium Housing

“…These family dynamics which often arise from informality do not often fit within formal institutions like condominiums. A common example in the Latin American context is the problem faced by families from informal settlements when they move to new housing complexes [42][43][44]. They tend to reproduce the same cultural and design patterns of informality in the new condominiums [44], which are usually rigid organisational structures with small dwellings and little potential for adaptation.…”

Involuntary Resettlement: From a Landslide-Affected Slum to a New Neighbourhood. Case Study of Mina Resettlement Project, Ahvaz, Iran

“…On the other hand, those in favour say the positive outcomes outweigh the negative outcomes [16]. While the outcomes are not definite, different experiences of UN Human Settlement Program revealed in most cases that the socio-economic and environmental disadvantages of resettlement are more than the advantages, which cause loss of local community assets [17], [2], [15].…”

“…9, no. 1 (2018) [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Households' economic situation was better due to the higher price of new houses; but they had difficulty in paying the instalment loans. From social viewpoint, fulfilling the needs of old people, children, and extended families were worsened as a result of living in Sepidar.…”