LOW INCOME HOUSING
AND OTHER SOCIAL BENEFITS
Curitiba also has been innovative in providing low-income
housing and other social benefits for economically disadvantaged
people. To meet demand of such a fast growing city was not
an easy task. The creators' challenge was to integrate new
public housing developments to the city as well as the people
who were arriving with no job skills. Linhão do Emprego,
Linhas de Oficio, Barracão Industrial, Vilas Rurais,
and Autogestão were developed to supply homes, free
business installation and assistance, free education, and
more. Images are few examples of what was done.
To cite an old popular saying: the government of Curitiba
has not given fish to its citizens; it has taught them how
to fish.
* Linhão de Emprego is a multi-faceted project with
partnerships between city government and businesses people,
and financed by the National Financial & Social Development
Bank. As commercial development grew along the main roads
radiating out from the center, the electrical power lines
and other utilities installed along those rows also became
available to the projects to handle the growing population.
Warehouses were built along power lines and used as incubators,
schools, and training areas. There, economically disadvantaged
people received free education in the areas that best tap
their skills. Classes were provided to meet the work forces
needs. Citizens were trained, with guaranteed employment
upon course completion.
* Linhas de Oficio: Similar to the above concept, this
development allowed citizens to buy their home and received
free training, benefits, and assistance to start their home
businesses. The buildings were constructed to accommodate
business on the ground floor with the residence above.
* Barracão Industrial: The community warehouses
are incubators where citizens start their own industrial
business, with city free training and assistance for up
to two years.
* Vilas Rurais: To reduce the number of people migrating
to the city, the Rural Villages program was developed to
provide an opportunity for people to stay in rural areas.
Schools were built, health assistance was provided, and
a program called Cambio Verde came about. Through the Cambio
Verde project, the city buys excess crops and exchanges
them for what was campaigned as trash that is not trash
collected by impoverished people in the city. With this
project the city not only helped the agricultural population,
but also those who were already living in the city's shantytowns.
The city's poor people receive food, farmers could make
a living, and city's "trash" collection increased
with no extra cost to the city government.
* Autogestão: A program created by Rafael Dely with
the principal concept that was having the population deciding
how they would like to build their homes. Subsequently to
the integration of involving the population in decision-making,
another program Mayor Cassio Tanigushi created was inspired
by imported Canadian technology, an idea called the Collaborative
Model. This program consists of involving the population
in urban decision-making. Through this program, the population
continues participating in housing development and other
city planning issues.
