As part of the coronavirus pandemic and a gradual reduction in social investments at municipal, state and national levels, hundreds of families are starting the largest reported urban occupation in recent history of the Municipality of Campos dos Goytacazes, the largest municipality in the state of Rio de Janvier in territorial extension. According to data collected by the Secretariat for Human and Social Development, in Campos, around 130,000 people, corresponding to more than 25% of the population of Campos, live on up to R $ 89.00 per month, that is, that is, in a state of extreme poverty¹. Naturally, the issue of housing has acquired a new centrality, as many families, in the context of the pandemic, have had to choose between eating and paying rent. According to an article published by the newspaper “Terceira Via”, the construction of popular houses has been completed, without fulfilling a social function, since at least 2016².
By Juliana Rocha Tavares *
The occupation of the “Novo Horizonte” (in English, New Horizon) housing complexes began on the night of April 13.e, with a majority group of women, who said they had conflicts with the military police during the process. In an interview, an occupant said she went three days without eating because she was afraid of “losing” the occupied house.
The occupation joins various groups, such as families who were considered by the federal Habitacion program called “Minha Casa, Minha Vida”, awaiting the handing over of the keys; families who were enrolled in the Habitacion program, but who were not drawn (even meeting all the criteria), families who were or would be evicted for non-payment of rent, families who lived favorably in small and inadequate rooms in the parents’ house, families who lived in houses with structural problems or located in risk areas, among others. What unites all these groups? The situation of extreme vulnerability and the struggle for the constitutional right to housing. Most families only stay in the occupation for more than 30 days, without access to water and electricity, because they simply have nowhere to return.
The occupiers organized a first protest movement on April 14e on BR 101 road, to draw media and government attention to the housing agenda. April 15e, the federal police notified the families of a judicial recovery decision, scheduled for April 21e. Families then organized new protest movements on April 16e and April 20e.
April 16e, the leaders of the occupation contacted the journalist Daniela Abreu, who started a dialogue with various social movements, which decided to support the occupation of “Novo Horizonte”. The movements drew up a manifesto against the expulsion during the occupation of “Novo Horizonte”, which was signed by more than 30 entities. April 17e, the “Emancipa Campos” group donated 30 basic food baskets to the most socially vulnerable occupying families. In record time, popular lawyer Rafaelly Galossi called the Federal Public Defender, who managed to suspend the repossession. From April 21e, several social movements began to directly support the occupation, through the construction of the community kitchen, food collection, cultural activities and legal support for the occupation.
April 24e, the company “Realiza” (responsible for the construction of the houses) and the Federal Bank “Caixa Econômica Federal” filed a new legal appeal and the families were informed that the takeover would take place within 5 days, with the possibility of appealing to violence and the support of the National Force. Then, the social movements that supported the occupation began to map the occupying families, in order to understand the social and intersectional profile of these families. Such mapping supported the new appeal of the Federal Public Defender, who guaranteed, from 5 Maye, another 30 days before repossession. The mapping was carried out through interviews with 303 occupying families (nearly 50% of the total families), confirming the thesis that these families were in extreme social vulnerability.
From the analysis of partial data, we were able to observe that nearly 20% of families declared to have no defined income, 33% were in a state of extreme poverty (per capita income less than R $ 89.00) and 24% were in a state of poverty (per capita income between R $ 89.00 and R $ 178.00). Less than 1% of families reported having a per capita income above R $ 1,000. From an intersectional perspective, more than 80% of the occupants declared themselves black or brown and 66% of heads of household are women, 47% of the total being single mothers. Many of these women worked as manicurists and housekeepers and lost their main source of income with the pandemic.
Almost 80% of those polled say they are already hungry and all say the situation worsened after the start of the pandemic. Almost 60% of the occupants said they had incomplete elementary education and none of them had completed higher education. Regarding the profession of the respondents, almost 80% declared to be informal or self-employed workers and only 2.6% declared to work with a formal contract. According to the analysis of the sociologist and professor at the State University of the Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF) and Luciane Soares: “By analyzing the responses of the interviewees on the occupation, we observe a low profile. specialization, linked to the informal market, therefore, without a social security protection network and without any access to the rights guaranteed at least by law. “
About 55% of respondents said they did not own a home and were not included in any housing program. Another alarming fact is that around 34% of those questioned declared that they did not receive any social benefits.
Civil society advisers from the City Council for Social Assistance (CMAS) have requested a meeting to discuss the situation of families in the occupation of “Novo Horizonte”. The Council meeting took place on May 10, with the participation of leaders of the occupation and representatives of social movements working in favor of the occupation. The Council drafted an important note in which civil society and government advisers recognize the legitimacy of the occupation in the “Novo Horizonte I, II and III” housing complexes. A commission was also created to monitor the mapping of families present in the occupation and to negotiate with the town hall the offer of social assistance and housing programs for these families. This committee is made up of councilors Bruna Machel, Associação Resista Campos and Graciete Santana, Sindicato Estadual dos Profissionais da Educação (SEPE), Luiz Paulo Gama, an occupation directorate and also representatives of the municipal government. The mapping began on April 18, with the presence of a large team of social workers from the municipality.
In a country where there are so many homes without people and so many people without homes, where the constitutional right to housing is neglected by the government in all areas, urban occupations are legitimate and extremely necessary resources in the struggle for housing. We hope that the families who now occupy “Novo Horizonte” and so many other families in situations of social vulnerability will continue to dream and fight for new horizons, in which social justice, the rights to housing, to food. , health and quality education are guaranteed for all.
We ask readers to collaborate with the community kitchen of the occupying families, through donations to the pix of Emancipa Campos (emancipa.campos@gmail.com) and PCB, UJC and Unidade Classista (22 999376057).
* Juliana Rocha Tavares is Professor of Physics at the Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia Fluminense (IFFluminense) and Doctor of Natural Sciences at the Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF).
The references:
¹ https://g1.globo.com/rj/norte-fluminense/noticia/2021/04/24/quase-130-mil-pessoas-vivem-em-extrema-pobreza-em-campos-segundo-levantamento-da -prefeitura.ghtml. Acesso: 05/11/2021
² https://www.jornalterceiravia.com.br/2021/04/14/manifestantes-cobram-entrega-de-772-casas-populares-prontas-pelo-menos-desde-2016/. Acesso: 05/13/2021.
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