A política habitacional brasileira entre 2003 e 2010: rupturas e continuismos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Programa Municipal de Apoio ao Arrendamento - PMAA

A política de habitação no concelho de Matosinhos sofreu ao longo das últimas décadas profundas alterações. O trabalho apresentado analisa o processoi subjacente a uma nova política da autarquia no domínio da habitação, o Programa Municipal de Apoio ao Arrendamento. O interesse nesta temática surge como corolário de uma prática profissional na entidade empresarial municipal, organização que tem a seu cargo a intervenção neste domínio. O principal objetivo desta investigação é compreender de que forma o Programa Municipal de Apoio ao Arrendamento constitui uma resposta às novas configurações da questão habitacional no município e a implicação dos profissionais da área social, nomeadamente os assistentes sociais, na sua criação, implementação e avaliação. Por outro lado, pretendemos analisar os limites e possibilidades do trabalho dos assistentes sociais no Departamento de Gestão Social e Habitacional. A recolha de informação teve por base uma pesquisa bibliográfica, associada aos temas em análise e uma pesquisa documental, a qual incidiu sobre a documentação produzida na MatosinhosHabit, nomeadamente procedimentos, instruções de trabalho, processos de munícipes (de 1999 a 2013), sob a forma digital ou outra. A criação desta política surge como resposta aos problemas económicos e sociais sentidos pela população em meados de 2007 e para a qual os profissionais da área social tiveram um trabalho propositivo. Este trabalho passou pelo envolvimento ativo de vários profissionais da organização e de entidades parceiras locais, tendo subjacente os valores da equidade e desenvolvimento local e social. / The housing policy in the Municipality of Matosinhos has suffered profound changes over the past decades. The present assignment analises the underlying process to a new policy of the local authority in the field of housing, "O Programa Nacional de Apoio ao Arrendamento" (the Municipal Program for Support to Leasing). The interest in this subject arises as a corollary of a professional practice in the municipal business entity that is in charge of intervention in this area. The main objective of this research is to understand how the program for leasing is a response to the new housing issues in the municipality and the involvement of social workers, namely in their creation, implementation and evaluation. On the other hand, we intend to analise the limits and possibilities of the work of social workers in the Department of Social Management and Housing. The collecting of the data was based on a literature research, associated to topics in analysis and documental research, which focused on the documentation produced at MatosinhosHabit, namely procedures, work instructions, householder processes (from 1999 to 2013), under a digital format or any other format. The creation of this policy is a response to economic and social problems felt by the population in mid-2007, for which social workers had proposals. This work has involved the active participation of various professionals of the organization and local partner organizations, having underlying values of equity and social and local development.

A nova política de habitação de interesse social no Pará (2007-2010): avanços e limites

A presente dissertação realiza um reflexão acerca dos avanços e limites da nova Política de Habitação de Interesse Social no Pará, no período de 2007 a 2010, identificando os principais obstáculos que se apresentam para sua implementação neste Estado, considerando especificamente a atuação dos diversos níveis do Poder Público. Entende-se que a instituição do Sistema Nacional da Habitação de Interesse Social pode ser considerada um avanço para a política nacional, resultado da trajetória e do acúmulo dos movimentos ligados à discussão da Reforma Urbana no país, apresentando um novo arranjo institucional, baseado no fortalecimento da pactuação federativa e maior participação e controle social, em que se verifica ainda maior aporte de recursos federais e ampliação da atuação do Governo Estadual. Nesse sentido, o trabalho analisa mais particularmente as estratégias de descentralização adotadas pela recente política, bem como os resultados alcançados principalmente pelas administrações municipais paraenses, no tocante ao acesso aos recursos federais e execução de ações neste setor. A pesquisa bibliográfica aborda a questão habitacional e urbana, Estado e políticas sociais, descentralização de políticas sociais, política habitacional no Brasil e no Pará e urbanização na Amazônia, com foco no Pará. Foram ainda realizadas pesquisa documental e entrevistas com representantes do Governo Federal, Estadual e Municipais, bem como representantes de movimentos sociais e populares. Os resultados apontam que, para além dos avanços na estruturação de um sistema nacional e da conquista de importantes espaços de participação no nível federal, as estratégias de descentralização ainda se apresentam de maneira frágil, o que pode representar um limite ao processo de consolidação do SNHIS.

Residential Differentiation, Housing Policy and Urban Planning in the Transformation from State Socialism to a Market Economy: The Case of Tallinn

The thesis examines urban issues arising from the transformation from state socialism to a market economy. The main topics are residential differentiation, i.e., uneven spatial distribution of social groups across urban residential areas, and the effects of housing policy and town planning on urban development. The case study is development in Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, in the context of development of Central and Eastern European cities under and after socialism. The main body of the thesis consists of four separately published refereed articles. The research question that brings the articles together is how the residential (socio-spatial) pattern of cities developed during the state socialist period and how and why that pattern has changed since the transformation to a market economy began. The first article reviews the literature on residential differentiation in Budapest, Prague, Tallinn and Warsaw under state socialism from the viewpoint of the role of housing policy in the processes of residential differentiation at various stages of the socialist era. The paper shows how the socialist housing provision system produced socio-occupational residential differentiation directly and indirectly and it describes how the residential patterns of these cities developed. The second article is critical of oversimplified accounts of rapid reorganisation of the overall socio-spatial pattern of post-socialist cities and of claims that residential mobility has had a straightforward role in it. The Tallinn case study, consisting of an analysis of the distribution of socio-economic groups across eight city districts and over four housing types in 1999 as well as examining the role of residential mobility in differentiation during the 1990s, provides contrasting evidence. The third article analyses the role and effects of housing policies in Tallinn s residential differentiation. The focus is on contemporary post-privatisation housing-policy measures and their effects. The article shows that the Estonian housing policies do not even aim to reduce, prevent or slow down the harmful effects of the considerable income disparities that are manifest in housing inequality and residential differentiation. The fourth article examines the development of Tallinn s urban planning system 1991-2004 from the viewpoint of what means it has provided the city with to intervene in urban development and how the city has used these tools. The paper finds that despite some recent progress in planning, its role in guiding where and how the city actually developed has so far been limited. Tallinn s urban development is rather initiated and driven by private agents seeking profit from their investment in land. The thesis includes original empirical research in the three articles that analyse development since socialism. The second article employs quantitative data and methods, primarily index calculation, whereas the third and the fourth ones draw from a survey of policy documents combined with interviews with key informants. Keywords: residential differentiation, housing policy, urban planning, post-socialist transformation, Estonia, Tallinn

After Housing Policy: Housing and the UK General Election 2001

This paper describes the results of a review of the housing content of UK General Election 2001 manifestos. Housing policy was of little importance during the election campaign. The main British political parties had, essentially, a shared housing agenda - to promote and facilitate home ownership, support area and community regeneration, tackle homelessness, improve the private rented sector, and prevent building on greenfield sites. Many issues of importance to housing specialists received little or no attention, most notably that of low demand. Some policy variations within the UK were evident, for example in attitudes towards greenfield development, home ownership and stock transfer. The paper concludes that differences in housing policy are emerging within the UK as part of a new politics of devolution and that the days of a single housing policy approach for the UK are over.

Devolving Housing Policy and Practice in Northern Ireland 1998 - 2002

This paper reviews the effect of devolution on housing policy and practice in Northern Ireland. It outlines the history and context of devolution and housing policy in Northern Ireland, including the legacy and persistence of intense social conflict. Current devolution arrangements are reviewed, including the implications of enforced coalition for policy governance. The paper focuses on three dimensions of housing and housing-related policy development and implementation: social housing, especially the distinctive history and changing organisation of social housing provision; policies affecting the housing market, including the changing regime for spatial planning; and, regeneration and tenant participation. The paper argues that housing policy has tended to converge with policies in England, rather than moving towards a distinctively local agenda. Local political agendas remain dominated by disagreements over constitutional status, thus policy formulation is determined more by officials than by elected politicians.

Policy difference and policy ownership under UK devolution: social housing policy in Northern Ireland

This paper assesses the impact of UK devolution on social housing policy in Northern Ireland from 1999 until 2011, with a particular focus on the administration from May 2007 until April 2011, the first in which the elected elements of the process functioned for the entire period. Housing is one of the responsibilities of the Minister for Social Development. Northern Ireland has had a political commitment to the provision of good quality social housing for many years, both before and after the 1998 Good Friday/ Belfast Agreement and the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive in 1999.
The paper begins with an analysis of factors contributing to policy difference within the United Kingdom under the 1999 devolution settlement, noting that these factors may contribute either to policy convergence or divergence between the four UK jurisdictions. There follow reflections on the concept of ‘policy ownership’ in multi-level states and the benefits of this analytical approach for consideration of housing policy under UK devolution. A review of social housing policy since 1999 is followed by discussion of three key issues from the 2007-11 administration: the governance of social housing; the procurement of new social housing; and improving access to shared space and a shared future. The paper concludes that, in Northern Ireland, the 2007-11 administration marked a transition between a technocratic past and the future policy ownership of the social housing policy field by locally elected politicians. Reflections on wider implications for UK social policy, for UK devolution, and for the complex governance structures of devolved and federal states are also included.

‘The Party’s Over’: Critical Junctures, Crises and the Politics of Housing Policy

The key argument set out in this article is that historical and comparative forms of investigation are necessary if we are to better understand the ambitions and scope of contemporary housing interventions. To demonstrate the veracity of our claim we have set out an analysis of UK housing polices enacted in the mid 1970s as a basis for comparison with those pursued forty years later. The article begins with a critical summary of some of the methodological approaches adopted by researchers used to interpret housing policy. In the main section we present our critical analysis of housing policy reforms (implemented by the Labour government between 1974 and 1979) noting both their achievements and limitations. In the concluding section, we use our interpretation of this period as a basis to judge contemporary housing policy and reflect on the methodological issues that arise from our analysis.

Happiness, well-being and housing policy

The literature on the meaning of home emphasises the security, positive meaning and self-esteem that home generates. However, housing policy has traditionally viewed houses as units of accommodation rather than homes. This article tackles the question of whether it is possible to devise a housing policy that aims at improving the self-esteem and positive identity of residents. The article reviews the growing literature stressing the importance of seeking to promote happiness or well-being as the primary objective of government policy and concludes with an evaluation of the potential for the application of these ideas to housing policy.