2013 S達o Paulo / NYC
Urban Challenges Workshop Spring 2013
P R AT T I N S T I T U T E P R O G R A M S F O R S U S TA I N A B L E P L A N N I N G & DEVELOPMENT
S達o Paulo Acknowledgements Centro Gaspar Garcia Maps Statute of the City Impact of Mega Events on Housing Affordable Rentals Public Housing Affordable Home Ownership Low Financing Programs Heliopolis Housing Project Mutual Housing / co-ops Villa Patromonial Squatting / Homesteading Homeless Services Supportive Housing Conclusions Works Cited
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This report is the culmination of a rich exchange between graduate-level students in the Programs for Sustainable Planning and Development (PSPD) at Pratt Institute in New York City and various non-governmental organizations in S達o Paulo, Brazil. Prior to the trip we surveyed housing developments in East New York and the Lower East Side and interviewed professionals in the field of homelessness and affordable housing. After sharing our findings with colleagues at Centro Gaspar Garcia, we were led on a comprehensive tour of similar housing developments throughout S達o Paulo. We would like to THANK the following individuals and organizations for sharing their stories of working to reduce homelessness and procure long-term affordable housing in S達o Paulo and NYC:
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Pratt Institute Team Perry Winston, Instructor Leonel Ponce, Graduate Assistant / Translation
Students Yasmeen Abu Al Saud, Jared Dalcourt, Tina Lee, Ted Seely, Cara Stampp, Matt Treat, & Omari Washington
In New York City: Elsie Daniels, H.E.L.P. USA (Genesis Homes) Ismene Speliotis, Mutual Housing NY Gavin Van Vlack, former squatter
In São Paulo: Renê Ivo Gonçalves, Centro Gaspar Garcia Carolina Ferro, Centro Gaspar Garcia Luiz Kohara, Centro Gaspar Garcia Melissa Witcher, Centro Gaspar Garcia Luciana Itikawa, Centro Gaspar Garcia Geilson Arruda Sampaio, Centro Gaspar Garcia Benedito Roberto Barbosa, Centro Gaspar Garcia Maria Dos Anjos, ULC Nelson Cruz, FML Carolina Rocha, Centro Gaspar Garcia Gilton – favela São Francisco Vani Poletti, MOHAS Renata Miron , Ambiente Arquitetura André Delfinoda Silva , Vila Prudiente (MDF) Eduardo Silvestre, Aliança de Misericórdia Ruy Ohtake, Arquiteto Emerson de Lima ,St. Martin de Porres
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Centro Gaspar Garcia Located in the central region of São Paulo, Centro Gaspar Garcia de Direitos Humanos is a social service and housing advocacy organization dedicated to addressing social injustices and improving the lives of low-income and homeless individuals and families throughout Latin America’s largest city. The organization supports local residents who are excluded from mainstream society and are often overlooked by policy and lawmakers. At the core of its work, the Center advocates for affordable and supportive housing development, protection of human rights through basic services, and provides individuals and families with valuable access to education, job training, legal and financial assistance, and counseling services. Centro Gaspar Garcia was named after Gaspar Garcia Laviana, a priest in the order of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC), who devoted his life to serving impoverished populations and later became an icon for human rights in Latin America for his commitment to fighting against injustices. Since the Center was founded, it has built its mission on the basic principles of Gaspar Garcia Laviana - ethics, protestation against injustice, solidarity, and community. Many of the Center’s programs and projects are cross-cutting and implementation is carried out by professionals and interdisciplinary teams. Ongoing programming includes the Affordable Housing Program, the Turnaround Program for Homeless Populations, the Informal Labor Law Project, and the City Project for the Affirmation of Indigenous Rights. To address serious situations of human rights violations, as well as monitor the state’s commitment to addressing social issues and injustice, Gaspar Garcia continues to work on strengthening grassroots organizations and expose the political corruption that contributes to ongoing poverty. p6 São Paulo Report 2013
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Map of New York City
The Lower East Side & East New York Throughout its history the heart of New York City’s housing problem has been the lack of affordable housing for the working and middle classes. Below the Lower East Side (C.D.3) and East New York (C.B.5) are located on a satellite image of New York.
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Map of S達o Paulo In S達o Paulo there has always been a lack of affordable housing; below the border of the city are shown on a satellite image of S達o Paulo
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As part of our trip to São Paulo we got to experience the challenges Brazil will face in the next few years as they host two mega events: 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games. The impact of both mega events on housing issues and housing rights has been a passionate discussion recently.
Map of Sites Visited in São Paulo
Sites Visited while in São Paulo March 10th - Visit and tour with Ruy Otaki March 11th - Presentations by Gaspar Garcia -Visit to an occupation in the region of Luz .
eviction in a slum located in the Bela Vista
March 14th -Pratt Presentations on Public
neighborhood.
Housing, Affordable Housing, and History of LES
March 13th -Visit to the World Cup stadium site in the neighborhood of Itaquerão, on the east side
March 12th- Visit to a building lease Social
of town -Participated in activities in the favela of
Program located in Senate Feijó, and the
Vila Prudente,
Cathedral -Talked to families threatened with
and East New York Neighborhoods March 15th -Pratt Presentations on Homelessness and Supportive Housing in LES and East New York Neighborhoods
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Statute of the City S達o Paulo, Brazil
Brazil has become known for innovative urban initiatives, including the noted 2001 Statute of the City, which aimed to affirm the social purpose of space and property and social control of land and development.
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During its independent political history, Brazil has had seven constitutions. The current Constitution was promulgated after a two-year process in which it was written from scratch by a Constitutional Congress elected in 1986. T The image to the left is of a Parliamentary session that established the 1988 Constitution of Brazil.
The comparative study of the themes of homelessness and affordable housing in New York City and São Paulo requires
which can be achieved through adequate housing. Having a ‘place’ in the city in this way is contrasted with sub-
an understanding of what housing means to all, especially those who lack legitimate housing.
standard, illegal housing outside of the ‘urban zone’ of Brazil’s metropolises.”
populations. This designation is not simply a matter of increased incomes, but is more deeply connected to having a place in the public realm – to be considered.
1988 Constitution dealing with urban development. As stated in the 2nd Article of the Statute, the purpose of urban policy is:
A key pressure point for efforts to In Lucy Earle’s doctoral thesis titled bring about such first class citizenship “Occupying the Illegal City: Urban is the Statute of the City, passed in Social Movements and Transgressive 2001 after 13 years old struggle by the Citizenship in São Paulo,” she argues that UMM, a coalition of housing groups achieving the status of a first-class citizen and the Partido dos Trabalhadores is the ultimate goal of marginalized (PT). This law regulates portions of the
“This is particularly important in the case of housing in Brazil, where acquisition of decent standard housing is perceived as closely connected to the achievement of citizenship, by city residents, policy makers and academics. Here
“To guarantee the right to sustainable cities, understood as the right to urban land, housing, environmental sanitation, urban infrastructure, transportation and public services to work and leisure for current and future generations.”
citizenship is tied to notions of dignity, self-improvement and social mobility, São Paulo Report 2013 p13
A Balancing Act:
Impact of the Mega Events on Housing in Brazil
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-Dave Zirin, political sports commentator and author.
Event analysis 26%
Of the total sports venues will be needed to be built from scratch leading up to the upcoming 2014 World Cup & 2016 Olympic Events
6%
Brazilian unemployment rate leading up to the upcoming 2014 World Cup & 2016 Olympic Events
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2014 World Cup S達o Paulo, Brazil
As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup, massive construction and reconstruction is taking place, and residents living near stadium sites have faced a series of evictions and relocations.
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Understanding challenges
from improvements on the infrastructure and In the next few years environment of the Brazil is expected to host host cities such as the two mega events: The enhancement of mobility, 2014 FIFA World Cup and through improvements 2016 Olympic Games. to the public transit The impact of both mega system, development events on housing issues of waste management and housing rights has and sanitation, and been the subject of construction of new passionate discussion dwellings, and the recently. Citizens, rich or rehabilitation of the poor, collectively support existing ones. Although these events with great there is a positive side enthusiasm and pride. In to the “mega events” assessing the scale and and a number of success scope of Brazil’s housing stories, there are still issues, it became apparent quite a few negative that the grassroots model housing legacies that is a vital component include: several evictions, to addressing housing indirect displacement as needs. These events, a result of gentrification, and the preparation and the reduction of for them do provide a the availability of social great opportunity for and low-cost housing. residents to benefit In addition there are
negative social legacies such as the criminalization of homeless persons and informal activities. As part of our trip to São Paulo we got to experience that firsthand. We visited one of the new stadiums being built in preparation for the World Cup. We were told by Benedito (aka Dito) that in order to build the new stadium they had to expand one of the highways to make a road that leads to it. As a result of that expansion, a lot of people that used to live where the highway now runs have been evicted from their homes and forced to relocate. It’s been said that “urban development in
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FAVELAS IMPACTED & CORINTHIANS STADIUM TOUR// 2013 Brazil is characterized by significant inequalities and socio-spatial segregation. On one hand informality drives the production of urban space but on the other hand continues to be a major problem. S達o Paulo is a city of contrasts: despite being the richest city in the country, it has almost 32%
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of its population (over 3 million people) living in precarious settlements such as slums, corticos, old tenement houses and illegal land subdivisions. On the other hand Brazil is considered to have an innovative legal framework symbolized by the Statute of the City. However since the
poor have limited access to centrally located and well serviced land, they hold tight to the land they have occupied, but nevertheless the pressure on such areas is increasing and there is one case that illustrates very well the challenges to come.
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Affordable Rentals
São Paulo, Brazil / New York City A minimum salary is a monthly income requirement for any worker of Brazil, which helps determines one’s qualification for public assistance.
Hotel Senado //
Understanding challenges In the neighborhood of Bela Vista, a public housing development stands apart in the heart of the bustling city center. Hotel Senado is a former hotel that is considered a city landmark and now converted into a publicly-owned building with affordable rental units. Rent varies between 40 BRL and 160 BRL per month, which is determined as a percentage of their salary. We had the opportunity to meet with the residents of the buildings, and we got to walk around the premise and get a feel of the place and learned more about the building. We learned that in order to qualify for housing here, people
must earn between 1 and 3 minimum salaries; their rent is 10% of their monthly income; they pay 1/2 and the city pays
1 – 3 minimum salaries per month and pride themselves on a history of no late payments! Hotel Senado is governed by
the other 1/2. Renters pay their own utilities and maintenance (40 BRL = US$20) their lease is for 4 years with an option to renew for another 2 1/2 years. The “ULC” (Union for Struggle for Cortiços) worked with the city to develop this project. 45 families totaling 102 people occupy the Studio and 1-BR units. The latter average 38 m2 each.
a management board, which meets once every six months. There is also a tenant association that meets once per year. The tenant association handles complaints, communicates with management on building improvements, and is comprised of only building residents. It worth mentioning that it is illegal to sell units and the building has a sustainable lighting sensor in the corridors.
The single minimum salary is 678 BRL ($338.71) per month, barely enough to survive even without the costs of housing. Many of the residents at Hotel Senado rely on income from
This project is closer to NYC’s section 8 subsidized rental housing, which is not exactly equivalent to NYC’s public housing.
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Public Housing
São Paulo, Brazil / New York City A minimum salary is a monthly income requirement for any citizen of Brazil, which helps determines one’s qualification for public assistance. The minimum hourly wage in New York & the rest of the United States of America is $7.50/hr or $600 (BRL $1,200) / mon
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FIRST HOUSES // 1935 First Houses is a public housing project in Manhattan in New York City. First Houses take their name from their distinction of being arguably the first public housing units constructed in the United States, opening for the first tenants on December 3, 1935. Understanding challenges
has been the lack of affordable housing for The Lower East Side is the working and middle a neighborhood in the classes. The history of the southeastern part of the Cooperative Village on New York City borough of the Lower East Side is the Manhattan. It is roughly story of a revolutionary bounded by Allen Street, idea that came to fruition East Houston Street, through the cooperation Essex Street, Canal Street, of individuals, unions, Eldridge Street, East and government. Broadway, and Grand Among New York City Street. The Lower East Side neighborhoods the Lower has so much character East Side was well known as it is one of the oldest for its overcrowded and neighborhoods of the city substandard housing for and the home of working the immigrant working class who are often a poor classes. This situation and ethnically diverse. had been a growing The lower east side has cause of concern among rich immigrant history, it residents, reformers was home to Irish, Italians, and city government Poles, Ukrainians, Germans throughout the 19th and and other ethnic groups. early 20th centuries, but Throughout its history there were few incentives the root of New York for private capital to invest City’s housing problem in affordable housing
for these groups. The situation became acute in the post-World War I period. Little construction had occurred during the war due to shortages of labor, fuel and materials. High interest rates and soaring construction costs during the post-war period led to a general slowdown in new housing developments. Rents skyrocketed, evictions rose, and rent strikes were common. First Houses 1935 The Lower East Side is home to large numbers of public housing developments, including First Houses. They take their name from their distinction of being arguably the first public housing units constructed SĂŁo Paulo Report 2013 p23
in the United States. Located on the south side of East 3rd Street (between First Avenue and Avenue A, and on the east side of Avenue A between East Second Street and East 3rd Street.) It was represented as a new type of low-income housing and was designed to look inexpensive due to the New York City Housing Authority rush to get public housing started. It consists of 122 three-room or four-room apartments in 8 four-story or five-story buildings. The Housing Authority received 3,800 applications for the apartments, which rented for $6.05 per room, about two-thirds of what similar apartments in surrounding slums
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cost. The project site plan follows the grid of the street, adhering to the existing street fronts, thereby blending in with the surrounding urban fabric. Vladeck Houses 1939 Named after Baruch Charney Vladeck (1886 – 1938) One of the founders of the Jewish Labor Committee (JLC) in 1934. It was designed to acknowledge the Jewish presence in the American trade-union movement and to mobilize labor in the struggle against fascism. Construction began September 10, 1939, and was finished November 20, 1940. The city sought to launch a European scale housing authority with the funds
and legal powers both to rescue the poor and to redevelop the city along modern lines. This was the first city-aided housing development and first slum clearance project. The buildings were wellconstructed with six stories, brick facades, increased height, but fitted out with minimum facilities that included plumbing but no toilet seats. The towers are moved off the street front into two “mega-blocks” Though surrounded by landscaping the towers orientation is still parallel to the perimeter streets of the mega block. The project thus separated itself from the surrounding city fabric.
Baruch Houses 1959 This complex, the largest NYCHA development in Manhattan located at 300 Delancey St, covers 13.4% of its total site, a percentage similar to that of Le Corbusier’s “tower in the park” project designs. The project consists of 2,194 apartments, housing an estimated
5,397 people, distributed throughout 17 buildings. Baruch Houses I is seven stories tall, Baruch Houses XI, XIII, and XV are thirteen stories tall, and the rest (II-X, XII, XIV, XVI-XVII) are fourteen stories tall. Combined, these buildings have 2,900,000 square feet (270,000 m2). This project is also set in a
“mega block” but now the towers are no longer lined up with the peripheral city streets but set at an angle to them, emphasizing their “otherness” from the surrounding built fabric
FIRST HOUSES 1935 VLADECK HOUSES 1959 BARUCH HOUSES 1939
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Afforable Home Ownership S達o Paulo, Brazil / New York City
Both S達o Paulo and New York City face a number of issues when it comes to providing and having access to Affordable Housing.
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Understanding challenges The right to adequate housing is the right of every person to gain and sustain a safe and secure home and community in which to live in peace and dignity. It is enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights(ICESCR) and the American Convention on Human Rights (American Convention), both of which, Brazil is a state participant to. To help citizens realize rights in the ICESCR, governments are obliged to take progressive strides towards the realization of these rights, including legislative, administrative, and judicial measures with a focus on the continued improvement of living conditions. In order to fulfill its obligation, Brazil has implemented several government-funded programs and has passed a plethora of laws focused on helping low to middle income populations secure housing.
During our visit in São Paulo, we learned housing laws are rarely enforced. Furthermore, housing programs disproportionately support homeownership. Out of 42 millions houses, 75 percent are owned. Defining affordability was a persistent theme throughout the course. In comparing case studies between São Paulo and New York City, it is clear the residents living in government assisted housing in São Paulo were not only satisfied with how much they were paying for rent but also happy with their dwelling units. New York standard of affordability pales in comparison. The problem is attributed to the fact that our process lacks the element of community involvement. Few programs in the US, with the exception of Habitat for Humanity’s Sweat Equity, permit such flexibility through the design and development process.
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and 7th largest city in the world. Although New York is 18th on the list, the two cities face similar challenges in housing. Two thirds of New Yorkers rent and spend nearly 50 percent of household income on housing. Generally, there are four factors, alone or any combination of them that restrict families’ ability to purchase a home outright or qualify for a mortgage: insufficient income, inability to document income, high interest rates and high housing prices.
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In S達o Paulo and New York City, low housing supply and rising land value is the biggest culprit. To mitigate the housing deficit, the S達o Paulo government has injected money into land acquisition for low-income housing development. Most of the developments, however, are located along the fringes of the
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city, further from the urban centers, where the jobs are. This translates to longer commutes and traffic congestion. Commuters traveling by personal automobile or bus can expect to spend 2-3 hours in traffic each way on a daily basis. Proximity to the urban center is the key reason
why Brazilians opt to live in less desirable living conditions, where social services, such as police and fire, healthcare and facilities are closer. While many have the income to purchase homes in one of the more remote areas, playing and living closer to work is more valuable.
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Low Financing Programs
Affordable Home Ownership, East New York Architects bring sustainable design to low income populations in East New York. Adding value and architectural character to the neighborhood. Home ownership is made possible through government subsidized low financing
Spring Creek Townhomes are a modern take on the traditional Brownstone, designed with 12 different facades and 10 colors that create a unique identity and texture in the neighborhood. To reduce cost and environmental impacts, the modules were built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard where the noise and disturbances
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from construction are contained in the warehouse. Once completed are trucked to the site where they are assembled. The neighborhood has a long tradition of socializing on porch chairs. The front stoops encourage this activity of private and street interaction. Additionally, the large bay
windows allow for more light and visibility onto the streets. GLENMORE GARDENS Completed in 2007, Glenmore Gardens development is comprised of five-buildings and ten semi-detached, two family homes on land owned by the NYC Department of Housing
and Preservation through the New Foundations Program—which was created to encourage small developers to build affordable housing where homeownership is difficult. The development is essentially an investment property in that each duplex is configured with an attached rental unit. In exchange for low
financing, the mortgage terms stipulate the owner must rent the additional unit to another qualifying low income resident. If the contract is breached, the owner must pay a penalty fee and repay the loan amount in full immediately. The duplexes are approximately 2200s.f. and built out of 90% recycled corrugated aluminum siding, fiber
cement panels and renewable cedar siding. Each building is designed by a different architect with a distinct look, which brings modern design for low income residents.
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Heliopolis Housing Project
Affordable Home Ownership - S찾o Paulo, Brazil Ruy Ohtake has designed the Conjunto Habitacional Heli처polis (Heliopolis Housing Project) for the largest slum in Sao Paulo..
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Heliopolis is an area in São Paulo that is part of the district of Sacomã. Located in the southeast of São Paulo, Heliopolis has one of the largest slum populations, with about 100,000 occupants in an area of almost one million square meters. The slum was built illegally, but was consolidated and turned into a neighborhood during 1980s and 1990s. Driving around the neighborhood you get the feeling of the density in area and population and you can see that the electricity is being tapped through the electricity poles. Dirt roads were slowly
developments occur in the outskirts of the city, which are underserved by public transportation.
The project plans to improve urban living and Ruy Ohtake, a Brazilian prominent architect in São Paulo, designed a series of schools, community centers, and public housing structures in Heliopolis that have provided much-needed assistance to the community. He has been working on the city’s Heliopolis Housing Program since 2003. The project plans to improve urban living and leisure spaces, educational and health replaced by asphalt and public services facilities, and provide housing for about were provided to its inhabitants as the 70,000 people in 18,080 households city center became more urbanized. in the largest favela in São Paulo. This process continued under the Minha Ohtake’s project (called “redondinhos” Casa Minha Vida (My House My Life) )created 542 apartments within 29 housing program, a federal program buildings, 24 of which are cylindrical enacted in 2010 that aimed to build 1 in design with distinct columns and million new affordable homes in Brazil by windows in different shades and hues 2016. Although directed mainly at lowof color. The project has been hailed as income households, the program has a success among residents. However, not delivered on many of its promises the surrounding favelas provide a grim within São Paulo due to the value of reminder of how far the city has to go land and high cost of infrastructure. in providing adequate housing and Also, the program does not clarify services for its residents in Heliopolis. where housing must be built, so often
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Mutual housing/co-ops East New York
“MHANY” increases affordable housing opportunities for low and moderate income families by continuing to identify and implement housing development initiatives; with a particular focus on preservation” [mutualhousingny.org]
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In 1985, the Associate for Community Organizations For Reform Now (ACORN) organized a squatting campaign in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn. The lack of affordable housing in the City led to the squatting of 25 vacant city owned properties by low income New Yorkers who could not afford to pay high rent prices. After multiple requests to establish a homesteading program that would utilize the City’s vacant housing stock, public officials finally negotiated with ACORN, the squatters, and the Pratt InstituteCenter for Community Development. The negotiation led to the formation of the Mutual Housing Association of New York (MHANY) and in 1987 the City turned over the deeds to “fifty-eight building with 180 units of housing”.[3] Moreover, the City agreed to commit “nearly 3 million dollars to the rehabilitation” of these buildings. [3]
MHANY’s Mutual Housing Model: This model is unique and effective at preserving an affordable housing stock because the deed is split. In other words, the property that MHANY manages forms a land trust. Under this land trust, there is a deed for the land and a separate deed for every unit in the building. This was the first form of housing land tenure of that type to be used in New York City. MHANY was able to preserve the long-term affordability of the buildings because they have the right of first refusal. If the owner wanted to sell his or her unit, MHANY has the right to buy back the unit and the owner’s equity. This model preserves the affordability of the unit because it allows MHANY to offer the unit to a low-income family for the same price that the previous owner paid. In order to qualify for a unit, applicants must be employed and they are also required to put in a minimum of 40 hours of “sweat equity”. Although most aspects of the construction process were contracted out, residents often cleaned up the lot before construction commenced. They would also paint the interior and exterior of the house once construction of the building was completed.
Homesteader putting in his “sweat equity” São Paulo Report 2013 p35
Villa Patrimonial
Mutual Housing / co-ops - S達o Paulo, Brazil This mutual housing development was funded by the federal, state and local government. Financial Breakdown in Reais Per Unit: Federal: 30,000 (U.S. $15,000) -State: 15,000 (U.S. 7,500)Municipality: 5,000. (U.S. 2,500), -Family: 5,000 (U.S.D. $2,500)
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VILLA PATRIMONIAL // 2007-2013 • Architect: Renata Miron • South Zone of Sao Paulo • 96 housing units [12 units / floor] • 54.00 m2 / unit [private/public terrace] • Self-Management
Understanding challenges
and Local government after the Worker’s Like MHANY, the Party came into power. organization Movimento Habitacional e Acao Social Renata, the architect of Vila Patrimonial, stated (MOHAS) was created in order to improve the living that Lula was more progressive than the conditions of Paulistas previous administration”. by working with the community to develop an Moreover, it was through affordable housing stock. this new government that the Housing Right On our trip we were able movement was able to to visit a limited equity move forward. Similar to cooperative that MOHAS the squatting movement and local leaders (mostly that occurred in East women) developed New York in the 1980s, called Vila Patrimonial. MOHAS and community It is located in the members were able to neighborhood of Jardim Miriam in the municipio of pressure the government to purchase and fund this Diadema in the southern development. part of São Paulo . Villa Patrimonial is comprised MOHAS’s Mutual Housing of 8 buildings that contain Model: the 96 cooperative Like MHANY, Vila apartments. This Patrimonial is an effective development was funded self-help model that by the Federal, State,
preserves an affordable housing stock. The “sweat equity” that residents put in their units reduces construction costs. The building are made out of reinforced & grouted hollow brick bearing walls, reinforced concrete web joists, and concrete floor slabs. This basic construction system allows residents to learn and then do much of the work themselves under the supervision of architects. Based on a merit system, priority is given to residents who participate the most. In priority placement, residents get to select where they want to live and control design elements of their units, such as tile choice and fixtures. Because active São Paulo Report 2013 p37
participation is required through all phases of development, residents acquire transferable skills and experience that translates to other aspects of their lives. There is an implicit expectation that residents will “pay it forward” through continued participation in the program.The average construction cost of an apartment in this area is 150,000 Reais[US$ 74471.25] , while a unit in this development only cost 55,000 Reais [US$ 24823.75]. Community members do not pay until they move into the units.There are also resale restrictions with penalties p38 São Paulo Report 2013
that allows for permanent affordability. For instance, if residents do decide to sell their units, they have to pay back the full amount of the mortgage. Moreover, they are not allowed to apply for subsidized housing again. Challenges: One of the difficulties that MOHAS and the residents experienced during the construction process was the slope of the site. In order to mitigate drainage issues and make the development handicap accessible the architects developed a sophisticated ramp system (as seen in photo above). Since
residents are doing most of the work themselves and only working on the weekends, developments like Vila Patrimonial can take years before completion. Although mutirãos are effective at providing a longterm affordable housing stock, this model does not address immediate needs for affordable housing in the city. Since the first Pratt- sponsored São Paulo Exchange in 2010, construction on this development is still not completed (few interior of the buildings are completed).
S達o Paulo Report 2013 p39
Villa Patrimonial
Mutual Housing / co-ops - S達o Paulo, Brazil Below is an example of a typical floorplan for the units in Villa Patrimonial.
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Source: Movimento Habitacional e Ac達o Social
S達o Paulo Report 2013 p41
Squatting/homesteading S達o Paulo, Brazil / New York City
According to author, Robert Neuwirth, there are one billion squatters globally, that is, about one in every seven people on the planet. At the height of the movement in 1988-1989, there were about two-dozen squatted buildings in the Lower East Side neighborhhod of NYC.
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Favela São Francisco // 2013 The Struggle Front for Housing (FLM) is a collective housing struggle, formed by representatives of autonomous movements that combine efforts to gain housing projects. The movements that integrate the front are committed to the implementation of social policies aimed at low-income populations.
Understanding challenges
East Side neighborhood of New York City, squatters To clarify, squatting traditionally got a bad consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied rap. However, it has been proven over time area of land and/or that the squatters in this a building – usually neighborhood have been residential –that the involved in transforming squatter does not own, NYC in a great way, also rent or otherwise have inspiring movements lawful permission to use. around the globe. With Author Robert Neuwirth squatting in the LES, suggests that there are there has always been one billion squatters a connection between globally, that is, about one in every seven people the buildings and the neighborhood. At the on the planet. [16] Those height of the movement numbers are staggering. Research goes on to show in 1988-1989, there were about two-dozen that the primary cause of homelessness, particularly squatted buildings on among families, ironically the Lower East Side. [C-Squat, Umbrella is the lack of affordable housing, ergo creating the House, Frontline,etc.] It was eleven of these very overwhelming necessity buildings and tenants for squatting. that, in 2002 the New Historically, in the Lower
York City administration under Mayor Rudolph Giuliani agreed to turn over to an established non-profit group, on the condition that the apartments would later be turned over to the tenants as low-income housing cooperatives. The most recent example of this was discussed in a September 2012 New York Magazine article, highlighting the notorious “Alphabet City” punk house known as C-Squat. [17] Last year, this formerly abandoned and squatted building completed one of the final steps in an unlikely conversion a decade in the making: they are going co-op. Under an initiative started under the Giuliani administration
São Paulo Report 2013 p43
which laid out the path to ownership, the “punks” who established a squat in the LES currently have an up-to-code groundlevel commercial space, one of the last criteria the squatters had to meet now making their building an official co-op. “In the Lower East Side the squatting community has developed somewhat along the same lines as a homesteading movement — with the idea of long term occupation and permanent housing at the forefront. Because of this, the LES style of squatting is a little different than the more transient squatting methods of travelers or the more communal aspects of the European squats.” [17] While buildings stand empty in the city, many Paulistas are without affordable housing solutions. São Paulo is the second largest city in Latin America and is the economic powerhouse
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of Brazil. With more than 11 million residents, it is home to the São Paulo Stock Exchange and aweinspiring panoramas. However, despite the wealth and rapid development of the city, thousands of Paulistas live in temporary shelters thrown up alongside roads and on abandoned land far from the infrastructure amenities required for modern accommodations. Moreover, these informal settlements and their residents face the daily threat of being cleared from the land. With the upcoming mega events of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, and while Brazil continues to surge economically, it must take care as a nation to not leave its poorest citizens behind. This would go directly against the City Statute, a development law adopted in 2001 regulating the chapter on urban policy in Brazil’s
1988 Constitution. Before I discuss the squat, it is important to understand the neighborhood within which it is located. We visited the Nova Luz Squat, which is surrounded by an area popularly known as Cracolândia. To simply say Cracolândia is known as the point of drug trafficking and open use in the center of the city would be an understatement. For more than 20 years these streets have been home to hundreds, sometimes thousands, of addicts and dealers. To paint a more vivid picture to the dire situation which is Cracolândia, in a January 2013 conectas.org article, it was highlighted that United Nations officials for health, extreme poverty and housing submitted request for explanations from city government as to the dire conditions of the area just nine months
Lower East Side, NYC squatter building to Co-Op building // Before & After From Lower East Side squatter building to co-op Michael Shenker renovates his former squat in the Lower East Side of New York City. Image on right he sits in his renovated apartment. photo cred: fly
ago. [18] As one can imagine, reclaiming these streets and recovering the degraded city center has been a huge public policy nightmare. The previous mayor of S達o Paulo helped develop a grandiose urban renewal project that has been cancelled as of 2013 by Fernando Haddad, current Mayor of S達o Paulo. Projecto Nova
photo cred: Villager photo by Caroline Debevec
Luz or New Light Project would have seen many buildings demolished and replaced by highquality apartment blocks, hotels and commercial developments. While some elements of the plan have been carried out already, on the flipside, some entire blocks have been knocked down and nothing built on them, only adding to
the blight of the area. Understandably not keen on relocating to distant suburbs and making long commutes, due to the combination of rockbottom rents and decent transport connections, despite the daily scenes of human degradation on its streets, the district is still utilized by many Paulistas on a daily basis as a means of necessity S達o Paulo Report 2013 p45
Image: The Luz Train Station, photo by:Jared Dalcourt
and convenience. Obviously, to those concerned with the lack of affordable housing and homeless issues, the ‘Nova Luz’ urban renewal project was doomed from the start. The plan would have been much too simplistic and exclusionary, lacking the creative and visionary solutions needed to truly revitalize the area. The plan makes no reference to the fate of drug users and homeless populations living on the streets of the region. Nelson Cruz de Souza of the Movimento de Moradia da Região Centro [Central São Paulo] Residents movement), with whom we spoke, stated that the original Nova Luz urban renewal project was simply a means to an end; that “it [was] part of a p46 São Paulo Report 2013
cleansing operation to get rid of poor people from the center of the city.” It should be noted that just like during the height of the movement in the L.E.S. neighborhood in New York, the homeless people most directly affected by this squatting necessity understandably are not waiting on the government to determine their fates. In the heart of São Paulo, a group of squatters in the Nova Luz area decided to make the abandoned building their home. These dynamics around governance and urban development in São Paulo show that having legislation to secure social rights and the right to the city is absolutely not enough. To truly transform institutions and the
systems of which they are a part of will require constant pressure and struggle from the affected communities to ensure that rights are continuously claimed and maintained. The building occupiers in downtown São Paulo are protesting in response to a promise made them by the government that many empty buildings would be put to good use, with some made available to the poorest to make permanent homes. However, governmental red tape has stalled the progress, and more than four years later nothing substantial has been accomplished. For now they will survive by taking shelter in the building pictured at right.
S達o Paulo Report 2013 p47
Homeless services
S達o Paulo, Brazil / New York City In S達o Paulo there are approximately 15,000 homeless individuals, and 9,000 beds for homeless individuals. In New York there are more than 50,000 homeless in shelter system in January 2013.
p48 S達o Paulo Report 2013
Images: New York Times
Jocelyn Vasquez, with her son Jay, waiting for Emergency shelter in NYC New York City: 1 in 4 of the homeless children in America stays in a NYC shelter each year
Understanding challenges Who is homeless in NYC and São Paulo? The nature of homelessness in NYC
migrated to São Paulo from the Northeast of Brazil looking for jobs. When work proved to be scarce in the city, many of them lacked alternatives, which led to an explosion of the homeless population. Today, the same sector of the population makes up the homeless community of the city. The difference is that today the causes of homelessness are largely disconnection from family and drug use.
and São Paulo varies greatly. In NYC, it would be difficult to indicate one person as the face of homelessness. There are adult men and women, teenagers and families that populate the city’s 250 shelters. Though still inadequate, the variety of homeless services range from traditional soup kitchens to dedicated shelters like the Ali Forney In NYC, the “right to the Center for homeless LGBT city” fight is focused on youth. providing housing and Conversely, the homeless services for U.S. residents, but there is an additional inhabitants of São Paulo group that must be are 90 percent male, considered in São Paulo: between the ages of indigenous populations. 18 and 40. Thirty years Centro Gaspar Garcia ago, many young men (CGG) estimates that there
are 10,000 indigenous people living within São Paulo’s city limits. These people are rarely considered or involved in city planning. The two major groups are the Guaraní and the Pankararu. The Guaraní villages were absorbed by private and public development as São Paulo grew and now are completely contained within the city. Three villages have been preserved and there have been attempts to compensate the people, but monetary compensation fails to replace the land taken and the diminution of their traditional culture. The Pankararu migrated from the north and spread across the city looking for São Paulo Report 2013 p49
jobs as their rural ways of life proved difficult to sustain. CGG has focused their work on identifying and communicating the desires of these indigenous groups in the public realm. Homeless Services in NYC: In the neighborhood of East New York, Brooklyn, organizations like H.E.L.P. USA are addressing homelessness by providing largely privately funded services. The Genesis Homes development in East New York is a complex of 5 affordable housing buildings and homeless shelters. The shelters serve women and children, veterans and families. By providing refuge for the homeless alongside long-term affordable housing units, Genesis Homes is able to offer services that meet the needs of both groups. The homeless youth attend the daily afterschool program and compete on a soccer team
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that allows them to travel to tournaments around the country. There is an 8-week summer camp and month long overnight camp they can attend in upstate NY. The medical clinic and dental clinic are also available to homeless families. This model of inclusive care is woven into every aspect of the organization.
unused and potential housing stock of the city. They found that ten times the average shelter population could be housed in the vacant space around the city. While recognizing that the issue is complex, the organization hopes that quantifying the factors in the equation will make it easier to solve.
Picture The Homeless
Homeless Services in São Paulo:
Another organization that is successfully advocating for homeless individuals and families is Picture The Homeless. Two homeless individuals started this organization in the late 90’s after enduring the challenges of being bounced around the shelter system. Of the many important campaigns launched by the organization, the vacancy count started in 2005 affords true action for the cause. By counting vacant lots and homes, both private and city owned, the organization was able to quantify the
Recycling cooperatives operate in half (15) of the districts in São Paulo. Born from the subsistence efforts of the city’s waste pickers, the cooperative model has grown as recycling has become more profitable. Reviravolta, a program of Centro Gaspar Garcia, is a social program, not a cooperative, that is following a similar model to provide work for homeless individuals. Their focus is on holistic change rather than just job placement. To that end, the program only allows truly homeless
Homeless Services in East NY, Brooklyn Genesis Homes (H.E.L.P. USA) Facility built in 1992 5 buildings: - 3 homeless shelters, - 2 affordable housing Supportive Services: Medical Clinic (pediatrics, nutrition, dental) Domestic violence counseling
individuals to participate. By CGG’s definition, one must be on street or in a shelter to work at Reviravolta. The process of entering the program starts with a two-week trial period in the workshop to test the individual’s interest in the work and to build trust between the participant and the staff. After the trial period, there is a two-week training, followed by a test where the participant must correctly sort a pile of trash. The donations of trash come mostly from Pão de Azucar, a national supermarket chain, which ensures that the materials are largely cleaner than if acquired from other sources. The participants
work a typical day (8am3pm). A healthy, warm lunch is provided on site. (The day of our visit, there was chicken, rice, beans, tomato salad and fresh mango!) The demographics of the participants illustrate a challenge in the recycling cooperative model that Reviravolta is working to address. Out of the 30 participants, 13 are over the age of 50. In typical recycling cooperatives, older applicants are turned down because it is perceived that they work more slowly, therefore affecting the profits of the cooperative. As a result, most of the participants at Reviravolta don’t want to go to a coop; they want registered work. Another
challenge, though, is the lack of education among participants. Only 4 out of the 30 participants have a middle school education.
St. Martin de Porres Created in the unused space under an overpass, St. Martin de Porres is a facility that serves a hot meal to 500 people daily, but includes many other supportive services. In the late 80’s, unusually cold temperatures in São Paulo led to many homeless deaths. A nun named Judith began to informally serve meals and provide other goods to the homeless beneath the bridge that would later house the facility. While St. Martin de Porres
São Paulo Report 2013 p51
cooks 50 kilos of rice, 15 kilos of beans and 50 kilos of meat in a day, this is only its primary function. The facility also provides workforce classes and counseling with social workers/psychologists. A total of 29 staff members and volunteers work in the facility, with only 3 of those being social workers/psychologists.
After attracting the at intervention before the attention of progressive stressors of life lead to mayor Luiza Erundina de living on the streets. Souza in the early 90’s, the facility was formally established and was able to increase its services. Many people we spoke to in São Paulo seem optimistic about the current mayor Fernando Haddad’s efforts to bring more equality to the city. It is programs like St. The staff strives to foster Martin de Porres that will discussion about public policy affecting homeless need that equality most and stress the importance to thrive. However, the organization wants to preof citizenship. Medical empt the need for such needs are handled on services, by working with Tuesdays and Fridays by a nearby childcare center the organization and the city’s public health service. to conduct classes aimed p52 São Paulo Report 2013
Aliança de Misericórdia - João Paulo Segundo:
This shelter in a central location near the city center houses 100 of the 9,000 beds for homeless in São Paulo. The facility is a men-only shelter, which provided occupancy from three to six months, on a case-by-case basis. The expectation is that participants will restructure life and take on responsibilities at the center, such as cleaning the kitchen. Founded in 2000, by an Italian priest, it was designed to mimic a peaceful rehabilitation house in a rural setting. Though it’s in middle of São Paulo, the inner space is uncluttered and tranquil. At first, participants
were not allowed to leave, which frustrated program participants because they felt trapped.
because few participants stay in touch following their withdrawal. A future focus is to increase
Subsequently the shelter became less restrictive and opened itself up to a larger population of homeless, beyond the addicts that it originally served. Also city funding requires that the shelter accept any homeless individual.
professional skills in the participants, but mainly the staff is content with the peaceful space that they provide for those working to become selfsufficient individuals.
The emphasis on work has empowered many participants, as 52 of 100 are working outside of the shelter in both informal and registered work. Visitors are still not allowed for fear of inducing relapse. Also, success stories after release from the program are often unknown São Paulo Report 2013 p53
Supportive Housing
S達o Paulo, Brazil / New York City Today Brazil lacks a comprehensive housing policy that would make life better by providing sustainable housing and improving the conditions of the current housing stock in the country.
Shelter resident developed new skills for model-making & design
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Images: SAN MARTIN de PORRES SHELTER/
Men & women eating a freshly cooked meal at the shelter in São Paulo. São Paulo: 90% of homeless are male, ages 18-40 •10,000 indigenous people living within city limits
Understanding challenges WHAT IS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING? Supportive Housing is exactly that: “support”, it provides proper housing with on-site services for people who want to break the cycle of substance abuse, domestic violence, or homelessness and lead productive lives. The mission of supportive housing is to provide a stable and structured environment where people can change their mindset and re-enter society as productive contributing citizens of our society. Supportive Housing provides long-term solutions to a problem like homelessness by providing housing and
services. Supportive housing is a better solution than the shelter system, which is just a holding space, and not a system that provides comprehensives longterm services. Supportive Housing is permanent. It provides a lease and lease like agreement with the tenants. It is affordable because it allow residents who make less than $30,000 a year to have access to housing and it limits the rent to maximum of 30% of their income. It also serves to enrich both the people they serve and the community as a whole. They provide social services on site, which make it easier to access the services needed.
The people served by Supportive Housing are as varied as the city in which they live. Homeless populations were the original group of people that started the movement but over the last few decades, the needs and the types of people served by supportive housing have changed. Supportive Housing serves people with mental illness, chronic illness like HIV/ AIDS, substance abuse, young adults aging out of the foster care system, homeless LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered) youths, grandparents raising grandchildren, and single abused parents.
São Paulo Report 2013 p55
The history of supportive housing in New York City was a response to the rising needs of the homeless population during the 1970’s and 1980’s. This rise was attributed to a number of factors in the city during this time. During the 1970’s New York City was in an economic and social crisis, the city seemed to be on the brink of collapse. Residents and outsiders viewed the city as “dirty, dangerous, and destitute”. The rise of homelessness reflected changes in the economy, reductions in affordable housing, and the deinstitutionalization of psychiatric patients (shnny.org).[26] The 1970’s saw New York City experiencing a contraction of its low-income housing stock, primarily because of property abandonment, neighborhood gentrification, and reduced federal funding for housing construction (shnny.org). During this time, the city was in a p56 São Paulo Report 2013
fiscal crisis because of the US economic stagnation. The 1970s were a low point in city history as a fiscal crisis almost pushed it into bankruptcy, crime rates soared, and homeless people crowded sidewalks as public services crumbled (Gralla). [27] The reduction of employment and affordable housing options led to many of the city residents becoming homeless. These residents were left without proper resources or support. In addition to working class and poor New Yorkers becoming homeless because of the lack employment opportunities, the deinstitutionalization of psychiatric patients from New York State hospitals also added to the problem. The population of psychiatric hospitals fell from more than 90,000 to less than 13,000. These patients in need were released without
access to proper services, nor the financial means to maintain stable housing (shnny.org).[28] There was a clear need for special needs housing in the city. The preamble of the federal Housing Act of 1949 passed over 20 years before declared that its goal was to provide “a decent home in a suitable living environment for every American family”. In the 1980’s federal, state, and local authorities began to fund programs and there was a “popularization of the supportive housing model”. In 1980, two Franciscan priests, after continually seeing their parishioners sleeping on their steps, decided to do something about it. The priests converted a Single Room Occupancy (SRO) building on 178th Street in Manhattan into housing for 100 homeless people, who paid $215 per month. This was considered the first experimental supportive housing unit and it was called the “St.
HOMELESS & JOBLESS MEN WAIT IN LINE FOR HELP DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION IN NYC
The priests, recognizing that these people need not only a place to live but also social services, provided psychiatrists and social workers onsite to the residents. This established a model of on-site social services that most or all supportive housing facilities now provide their residents. In 1986 the Low Income Housing Tax Credit was passed to “provided the opportunity for private investors to receive tax breaks in exchange for direct investments in lowincome housing” (shnny. org).[30] This allows more housing units to be built to help alleviate the growing population in need in the city. In 2005, 42 million
households lived in physically deficient housing, spent 30% or more of their income on housing, or were homeless. I believe that one of the fundamental rights of every citizen is to have access to proper sustainable housing. Where you live and how you live can and will have a dramatic effect on the quality of life. I look at housing in both physical and psychological terms; housing must be referred to as ‘Home’; not everyone wants housing but everyone wants a home. HOUSING TYPES In New York City, there are more than 45,000 units of supportive housing. New York City is the leader in the nation when it comes
providing a permanent solution to homelessness. The city offers a wide array of housing types; projects and services for the diverse city population. The result of this is a growing supportive housing movement. There is a high tenant retention rates (shnny. org)[31]. The policy of allowing the participation of the private sector has allowed for a more “cost effective” solution to the homelessness housing issue. Supportive housing is more cost effective in providing much needed support to people who need it the most. According to the Supportive Housing Network of New York, “Supportive housing projects in New São Paulo Report 2013 p57
York provide secure, stable, high-quality accommodations and services to many populations who would otherwise end up in more expensive, institutional settings such as congregate shelters, prisons, or public institutions.� In New York City, the average daily operating cost of a supportive housing unit is $46, compared to a day in a shelter ($68), jail ($129), a psychiatric hospital ($467) or community hospital ($755) (2002 numbers derived from this seminal report). [32] The field of supportive housing continues to mature: In recent years, providers have created supportive housing for many deserving New Yorkers.
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As it grows, supportive housing will continue to transform and enhance individual lives and communities throughout New York (shnny.org).[33] The Lower East Side, like many areas in New York City, saw its share of rising homeless population during the crisis era in the city. The Lower East Side is home to many supportive housing units that continue to help and support both the residents and the community. Many of the new supportive housing buildings are not newly built but have been in the neighborhood for decades. Because of the need, they are now been revitalized and used for these social services.
Our research on the Lower East Side and its housing issues showed that there are a number of supportive housing units that should be highlighted as an example of affordable housing that is working in the city.
I believe that providing housing should not just mean providing a roof over the head of a person but providing a standard of housing that people can use to be a productive part of our society. I believe that one of the fundamental rights of every citizen is to have access to proper sustainable housing. Where and how you live can have a dramatic effect on the quality of life. The Supportive housing units that will be examined below all located in the Lower East Side and provide essential services.
Community Access: Gouverneur Community Access: Gouverneur Court Court • -Is Is aa ssupportive uppor)ve housing for 123 tenants include housing for 123 tenants individuals living with psychiatric disabili)es and including individuals living with HIV/AIDS, and low-‐income community members.
psychiatric disabilities and HIV/AIDS, and low-income community members.
BRC: The Glass Factory BRC: The Glass Factory Community Access: Gouverneur Court
Residents’ Committee fully • -Bowery Bowery Residents’ CommiIee f(BRC) ully • Is a suppor)ve housing for 123 (tBRC) enants include renovated tlhe Glass Factory in the East Village as renovated the Glass Factory the East individuals iving w ith psychiatric din isabili)es and 45 units as of as45 uppor)ve housing for individuals Village of supportive housing HIV/AIDS, nd lunits ow-‐income community m embers. living with HIV/AIDS, all of whom have access to for individuals living with HIV/AIDS, all a full range of support services. of whom have access to a full range of support services.
BRC: The Glass Factory Lower East Side Service Center: Pencer House • Lower Bowery East Residents’ ommiIee Center: (BRC) fully SideCService Pencer • renovated Is a permanent h ousing f or 4 0 h omeless the Glass Factory in the East Village as House people with disabili)es -‐-‐ by the Lower East 45 units of suppor)ve housing for individuals Side Sw ervice Center. all of whom have access to living ith HIV/AIDS, -Is a permanent housing for 40 homeless a full range of sdisabilities upport services. people with managed by the
Lower East Side Service Center.
Lower East Side Service Center: Pencer House The Lower East Side Service Center: Pencer House This striking Gothic Revival-style structure, built in 1890, was designed for the Children’s Aid Society by Calvert Vaux, whose works include the American Museum of Natural History and
• Is a permanent housing for 40 homeless Central Park. In 2000, Since this people with itdisabili)es -‐-‐ by supportive the Lower East Side Saservice Center. was reopened Pencer housing project opened, House. It is permanent housing for 40 homeless people with disabilities by the Lower East Side Service Center. When it was originally proposed as housing for people living with HIV/AIDS, neighbors attempted to prevent the rehabilitation.
the building and tenants have become a vital part of the community. This project showed us how the redevelopment of a building could have a positive effect on the community.
São Paulo Report 2013 p59
Community Access: Gouverneur Court In 1994, Community Access gutted and renovated this dilapidated former hospital on the Lower East Side of Manhattan into quality supportive housing for 123 tenants, including individuals living with psychiatric disabilities, HIV/AIDS, and low-income community members. [34] The striking facade’s rounded balconies, visible from the nearby FDR Drive, were originally designed to provide fresh air to tuberculosis patients. The residence features a fountain named after early funder Brooke Astor. Gouverneur Court is an example how these supportive housing units can improve the community where it is located. Property values rose in some neighborhoods because the buildings are attractive to the eye, well maintained, and designed to fit into the aesthetics of the neighborhood with p60 São Paulo Report 2013
attention paid to density, scale, and appearance.
building, will be turned into The Bea Arthur BRC: The Glass Factory Residence, a center for homeless LGBT youths In 1999, the Bowery named after gay-rights Residents’ Committee champion Bea Arthur. The (BRC) fully renovated Cooper Square Committee the Glass Factory in the and the Ali Forney Center East Village as 45 units of have been awarded supportive housing for $3 million by the City individuals living with Council and an additional HIV/AIDS, all of whom $300,000 by Borough have access to a full President Scott Stringer to range of support services, develop housing for up to including those available 18 homeless LGBT youth. through BRC’s continuum of 27 programs. The Glass Lower East Side People’s Mutual Factory was designed Housing Association: by Harden Van Arnam The Lower East Side Architects and named Peoples Mutual Housing for the building’s former Association (LESPMHA) use in the 1940’s. In is a nonprofit [501(c) (3) 2002, the Glass factory membership organization was the recipient of incorporated in 1990. The the Lucy G. Moses organization was created Preservation Award by in 1987 to rehabilitate the New York Landmarks Conservancy and was part vacant multifamily buildings owned by the of the National Building City of New York, as well Museum’s exhibition as the construction of new Affordable Housing: multi-family buildings Designing an American in the Lower East Side Asset. of Manhattan. The sole The Cooper Square purpose of this entity Committee/Ali Forney is to provide long-term Center (AFC): affordable housing for the An East 13th Street
residents of New York City. The $11.9 million, 44-unit project located on 29 East 2nd Street, called Diversity Houses, has 4,000 applicants on a waiting list for a lottery when it opens this summer. Cooper Square Supportive Housing Project The Cooper Square Committee’s purpose is to prevent displacement of existing residents, and to preserve and develop quality housing affordable to low and moderateincome residents of the Cooper Square area. They do this through tenant rights education, one-on-one counseling, tenant organizing, and by sponsoring and developing affordable housing projects. They also work to ensure that low income and special needs residents gain access to housing and income support entitlements, and give referrals to other service providers (npclibrary.org). Community Access,
obtained a temporary Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for 29 E. 2nd Street, a new 53-unit building with supportive housing services in late 2007. It was fully rented up by mid-2008. The first Community Access building to feature commercial space, 29 East 2nd was developed in partnership with Cooper Square Committee, Inc., as
would be geared toward owner occupancy. During the 1950’s with the development of the consumer goods industry, the São Paulo population increased due to migrant workers coming to the city for work. The only housing option at that time was to purchase a lot of land in the informal land subdivisions that were opening up on the
part of the Cooper Square Urban Renewal Project. The Pratt Planning and Architectural Collaborative designed the building, and Artec Construction and Development Corp. served as contractors.
fringes of the consolidated urban fabric (Cities Alliance).[35] The result of this immigration led to the problems with transportation, housing, and sanitation that still plague São Paulo.
São Paulo Overview
The population of São Paulo continues to increase. Over time, it is estimated by the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT)[36] that the urban population in poor countries will double by 2030 and they predict the number of people in informal settlements may total 3 billion in 2050.
In the 1930’s access to housing for middle and low income, people were gained primarily through the rental markets, because there was not an “official housing financial system”. However the “self owned” movement started to gain support and in 1942 the Tenants Law gave an incentive to build housing that
São Paulo Report 2013 p61
In 1964 the federal government created the Housing Financial System (SFH) and the National Housing Bank (BNH). These agencies were created under the military regime at the to promote a national housing policy (Wacker). [37]The national housing policy was geared towards private homeownership. However, these policies did not do much to stop the formation of slums in the city. The housing market was divided into three sections: popular (up to three minmuium wages), affordable (three to six minimum wages), and medium (above six minimum wages). The National Housing Bank (BNH) subsidized the
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medium section, but the low-income population did not have the chance to get into the housing market, and they were blocked.
discrepancies in the distrubution of wealth and income; there is a large gap that has created a severe problem with poverty. Cities Alliance states, “The social In the 1980’s, with vulnerability of the urban Brazil still not having a poor is also reflected in comprehensive housing the living conditions. In policy that would make general, the principal housing conditions better, the housing sector housing options for the population are either nevertheless improved to build-it-yourself or after the end of the military dictatorship. Brazil purchase of a house in the precarious and informal started to make a few developments in housing settlements that continue to develop.” There are a programs and also pass number of housing types innovative legislation. in São Paulo and Brazil Brazil is a contradiction overall, the main type in terms, because it is of housing is of course one the fastest growing the growing number of countries in terms of favela communities that population and financial serve as housing for many services. Brazilians. The country has
FAVELAS The origin of this housing option is simple: of the lack of affordable and sustainable housing for the working poor in the city. Favelas are created by the occupation of public or private lands belonging to a third party. The residents of these communities did this without the permission of local officials and needless of urban land use policies. These are substandard
structures that are selfbuilt by the socially and economically vulnerable people. SLUM TENEMENTS The Municipal law in Brazil defines this type of housing option called a “cortiço” as “a unit used as a group residence, housing more than one family, and exhibit all or some of the following characteristics (Cities Alliances).[38] They are composed of one or more
building on a single urban lot and the building is subdivide into rooms that are rented, or sublet. This type of occupancy can create a number of health and safety issues but is often the only option for many. The single room can serve many functions it can be your living, bedroom, and dining room. The only bathroom can be shared by many individuals and families in this type of housing, this option is
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need of serious repair and are overcrowded with families.
followed when addressing the rights to adequate housing for all. It states the WHAT IS THE RIGHT TO right to adequate housing contains freedoms and ADEQUATE HOUSING? entitlements like: the The right to adequate protection against forced housing is an international evictions and arbitrary human right. The UNdestruction and demolition HABITAT states that the of one’s home; the right law recognizes everyone’s to be free from arbitrary right to an adequate interference with one’s standard of living, including home, privacy and family; adequate housing. However, the right to choose one’s like many laws, it is not residence, to determine necessarily enforced. The where to live; and the right United Nations recognizes to freedom of movement. that they are billions of These are the freedoms people worldwide that that are being taken away “live in life or health today in Brazil’s favelas threatening conditions, in and tenements. People are overcrowded slums and being forcibly removed, informal settlements (UNtheir housing rights taken HABITAT).”[39] away for the upcoming The United Nations “mega events”. The right Committee on Economic, to adequate housing also Social, and Cultural Rights includes entitlements, gives us the guidelines there must be security of and rules that should be tenure, equal and non-
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discriminatory access to adequate housing, and importantly, the right to have a voice and be able to participate in the process. People must have decisionmaking power at the community and national levels in housing policies.[40]
S達o Paulo Report 2013 p65
Conclusions
S達o Paulo, Brazil / New York City In preparation for two mega-events, the pressures of the upcoming games are proving to be a much bigger challenge than anticipated. Our studyabroad group witnessed first hand the realities of eviction, criminalization, and displacement.
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In the end, São Paulo and New York face similar challenges that affect housing development for low income populations. Rising cost of land value and real estate speculation drive developments to more remote areas of the the city, far from their place of employment and social amenities. This in turn, imposes the burden
are the prevalent form of urban housing in the country and they continue to grow. The poor people of Brazil are reliant and hands-on; they build their own homes and take a lot of pride in that accomplishment. New York City on the other hand has had a long history of providing housing and
sustainable housing for it residents. There are problems in New York just like São Paulo when it comes to not being able to pay high rents and being able to find suitable housing. Both cities can learn many things from each other, because both cities are and will be on the world stage. New York City is the financial capital
of longer commutes, which deteriorates the quality of life. It essentially becomes an opportunity cost. The time sitting in traffic could be better spent with family or employment. The favelas of São Paulo and Brazil
supportive services to its poor and homeless population. Although there are problems within the system, New York City still provides the best opportunity when it comes to longterm supportive and
of the world and all eyes will be on Brazil with the upcoming mega events the World Cup and the Olympics.
EVICTIONS
CRIMINIALIZATION OF THE HOMELESS
DISPLACMENT
REDUCTION OF SOCIAL AND LOW-‐INCOME HOUSING GENTRIFICATION São Paulo Report 2013 p67
[1] Earle, Lucy. Occupying the Illegal City: Urban Social Movements and Transgressive Citizenship in São Paulo. Diss. London School of Economics and Political Science, London, 2009. [2] The Impact of Mega Events on Housing Rights, Julia Azevedo Moretti, 3 November 2010 http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/ dpublog/2010/11/03/the-impact-of-mega-events-on-housing-rights/ [3] Hirsch, Eric and Wood, Peter. (1988). “Squatting in New York City: Justification and Strategy.” 16 NYU Review of Law and Social Change. Vol. 605. [4] Similarly in the US, the tax code favors homeownership through tax deductions. However, research shows only homeowners in the upper income bracket benefit. [5] Home ownership unaffordable for many in Latin American and the Caribbean.Inter-American Development Bank. 12 May 2013. http://www.iadb.org/en/news/webstories/2012-05-14/housing-affordability-in-latin-america-and-caribbean,9969.html [6] Brazil Housing Prices Hike Despite Bubble Fears. Global Property Guide. 18 September 2012. http://www. globalpropertyguide.com/Latin-America/brazil/Price-Histor3y [7] Trevisani, Paulo. A Plan for São Paulo Housing Crisis. Wall Street Journal. 03 April 2012. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000 1424052702303404704577309592927236020.html [8] Brazilian Government Website. Information derived 22 April 2012. http://www.caixa.gov.br/habitacao/mcmv/ [9] Habitat for Humanity’s Sweat Equity Program is a close comparison. [10] http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cidade_Ademar [11] http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/resources/work_begins.shtml [12] http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/developments/manvladeck.shtml [13] http://nyspexchange.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/4-100318-nyc-publichousingpresentationfinal11.pdf [14] http://nycinfocus.org/baruch-houses/ [15] The Impact of Mega Events on Housing Rights, Julia Azevedo Moretti, 3 November 2010 http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/ dpublog/2010/11/03/the-impact-of-mega-events-on-housing-rights/ [16] Robert Neuwirth , Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, A New Urban World. November 29, 2004 [16] Robert Neuwirth , Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, A New Urban World. November 29, 2004 [17] New York Magazine. Online. http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/c-squat-2012-10/ [18] Conectas Human Rights. Online. Jan 2013 http://www.conectas.org/en/foreign-policy/brazil-ignored-questions-posedby-un-on-abuses-in-cracolandia [19]. (2013, March 13). Worksite Tour at St. Martin de Porres in São Paulo, Brazil. [20] Itikawa, Luciana. (2013, March 11). Presentation given at Centro Gaspar Garcia, São Paulo, Brazil. [21] Markee, Patrick. “State of the Homeless 2013.” Coalition for the Homeless. March 2013.
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[22] Daniels, Elsie. (2013, February 27). Interview at Genesis Homes in Brooklyn. [23] Miller, Sam. “Banking on Vacancy: Homelessness & Real Estate Speculation.” Picture The Homeless. 2012. [24] Witcher, Melissa. (2013, March 13). Worksite Tour at Reviravolta in São Paulo, Brazil. [25] Silvestre, Eduardo. (2013, March 13). Worksite Tour at Aliança de Misericórdia in São Paulo, Brazil. [26] http://shnny.org/learn-more/before-and-after/ [27] Joan Gralla, NYC fears return to 1970’s www.resuters.com [28] http://shnny.org/learn-more/history-of-supportive-housing/ [29] Petra Foundation. www.broadwayhousing.org [30] www.shnny.org [31] http://shnny.org/learn-more/history-of-supportive-housing/ [32] www.shnny.org Homeless Report 2002. [33] www.shnny.org [34] www.communityaccess.org [35] The Cities Alliance , Cities Without Slums: Social Housing in São Paulo Challenges and New Management Tools www. citiesalliance.org [36] Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: United Nations Human Settlement Programme: The Right to Adequate Housing Fact Sheet No, 21 Rev.1 [37] Robbyn Wacker, Aging Social Policies: An International Perspective. Chapter 5 PG.114 Sage Publications Inc. [38] www.citiesalliances.org [39] United States Human Settlement Programme [40] UN-CESCR Other Refrences: Ted’s notes, Perry’s notes Interview with Gavin Van Vlack 2013. Zirin, Dave. Brazil’s disappearing favelas. https://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/05/12-9 10 May 2011 http://aajpress.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/ruy-ohtake-conjunto-habitacional-heliopolis-housing-project-são -paulo-brazil/ http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/13session/A-HRC-13-20.pdf
Report Prepared by: Yasmeen Abu Al Saud, Jared Dalcourt, Tina Lee, Ted Seely, Cara Stampp, Matt Treat, & Omari Washington
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