Social housing under the Workers’ Party government: an analysis of the private sector in Brazil

Abstract

This article examines the patterns of government intervention in social housing in Brazil to analyse the role of the private sector in the elaboration and implementation of social housing policies during the Workers' Party government. It draws on case study research, and I examine areas which impact on the way social housing has been implemented since 2003 to study the concentration of decision power the private construction sector has on social housing policymaking, which sets the tone of government intervention on social housing. I argue this was part of the Workers' Party's approach to neoliberal policies in a more moderated style, a type of intervention repeated on numerous occasions under previous administrations. This article concludes by noting the prominent role of the private sector in social housing developments.

The Institutionalisation of Social Movements: Co-Optation and Democratic Policy-Making

“…There are significant differences between social movement repertoires of action in smaller cities like Maracanaú and those in larger cities. While urban movements in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo have more often focused on the defence of their right to occupy and access space in the city, the demands of groups in cities such as Caucaia and Maracanaú (metropolitan areas of Fortaleza, in the state of Ceará) tend to focus upon better housing, infrastructure and improved public services (Coelho and Costa, 2017; de Oliveira Santos, 2013; Lima, 2011, 2018). The growth and expansion of urban movements, especially the ones related to access to housing have progressed differently in Ceará – and in the northeast region in general – where shantytown communities confront a unique blend of challenges and neighbourhood issues, such as drug trafficking, environmental degradation and relentless poverty (de Almeida, 2005; Freitas, 2014; Garmany, 2014; Scheper-Hughes, 1992).…”

“…While some are exclusively dedicated to the housing issue, others are also engaged with organising and mobilising neighbourhood movements, and their agenda includes demands for social and urban improvements in public services, such as access to healthcare and good quality education. Influenced by the powerful housing movements at the national level, housing movement members of the municipal housing council in Maracanaú focus their agenda on social housing provision, tenants' rights and urban infrastructure development for slum areas (Lima, 2018). The political orientation of the local government has been largely right-wing since the creation of the municipality in 1986.…”

The limits of participatory democracy and the inclusion of social movements in local government

“…These inequalities are a consequence of socioeconomic differences and the class background of council members, the knowledge that separates experts and technicians from unskilled council members, and are also the result of personal capacities for deliberation and persuasion. Thus, a space of deliberation might become a space of domination: the more those in advantaged backgrounds participate in those spaces, the more likely they will use the tools at their disposal (knowledge, skills, information, authority) in order to advance decisions in favour of government and private sector interests (Fung & Wright, 2003;Lima, 2018;Cornwall, 2008).…”

Investment Valuation Model of Public Rental Housing PPP Project for Private Sector: A Real Option Perspective

“…For example, Vale and Freemark (2012) stated that public housing in the United States has gradually transformed from sole public efforts to a public-private endeavor [19]. Lima (2017) analyzed the social housing elaboration and implementation in Brazil and noted the prominent role of private sectors in the development of social housing [20].…”