Brazil

Context at a glance

A woman washes dishes outside the shack where her family lives

Statistics from the João Pinheiro Foundation for the year 2000 demonstrate that in Brazil there is a housing deficit of almost 6,660,000 houses. More than two thirds of the housing deficit is found in urban areas, where families suffer overcrowding and worsening housing conditions.

In the 1990s, the Brazilian people's attitude towards the housing deficit began to change. They were beginning to realise that reducing the deficit is not just the government's responsibility. Brazilians have helped reduce it themselves through individual and collective house-building and renovation initiatives.

Habitat for Humanity programme

Habitat for Humanity Brazil began working with low-income families in 1992 in Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerais. It currently works in more than 20 cities in six Brazilian states: Ceará, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Tocantins.

Families are selected to take part in the programme based on need, ability to pay and availability to work on the construction of their own house and to participate in the necessary training.

The key to our success in building houses lies in the community's involvement in construction, which reduces costs and increases productivity and the homeowners' overall commitment and involvement.

Many different members of the community are involved, including socially responsible companies with corporate volunteer programmes, the government, local businesses, churches, schools, other NGOs, community volunteers and of course future homeowners.

Read a homeowner story from Brazil Ademar's story

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