Housing

Housing

Housing in Brazil is as varied as the culture. Buildings are of different proportion and design depending on the area you are in. In the city you may witness tall buildings such as those seen in a Canadian city center or smaller buildings resembling a hut made of scrap resources. These small structures are known as shanties. In villages you may see small huts made of leaves and logs. Some have an open concept without windows, where as others may be closed up all around.

During the industrial revolution many people moved to the city centers in hopes of getting employment. There was a huge influx of people of all education levels. The government welcomed all these workers. However, many of these people were illiterate and as a result could not get employment. Nonetheless, these people had to have a place to live. The more educated who got jobs did not have a problem finding a place to stay, however, many poor who did not have a job had a difficult time finding stable place to live. The government of the time did not have services for these people, such as low wage homes or other services. People, had to live in flop houses or hospedarias, which provided a bed for a night. Others had to settle in rooming houses or cabecas de porco where people were living in rooms as tiny as cubicles. People who could not rent any of these accommodations had to stay in favelas. Favelas or shanties still exist in Brazil. There are no services provided in these favelas. There is no running water, electricity, plumbing or paving of road ways. Many areas are unhealthy to live as there are open sewers and uncollected garbage, which contribute to many diseases.

Much money was made during the industrial revolution, however, that money did not trickle down to the poor; It stayed in the hands of the rich who would build magnificent villas and homes that resembled castles. These cathedral like homes may very well be located next to an area full of favelas. This contrast of housing can be seen in many pictures of Brazilian cities, especially Sao Paulo.

The government of Brazil has now spent $300 million on a project called "Favela Bairro", in an attempt to better the living conditions of the favelas. Their hope is that the slums of Brazil will be integrated with the rest of the city.

Student Activity:

1. Do you think the Brazilian government is doing enough for it's people? Would the integration of favelas be a good thing for Brazilians? How about those people who are used to living like this and prefer the favelas because they can have small gardens and chicken coops in their yards? What do you think? Click here to take part in a comparison chart of the pro's and con's of favela integration into the city.

2. Looking at the above picture of Sao Paulo what are some things you see that show the diversity in Brazilian city living? Make a list of the things you observe. Where would you want to live and why?