On flat terrain, where the horizon is visible in every direction, buildings with over forty stories rise across different areas of the city. Recently, a fifty-story building was completed; at 191 meters (626 feet) high, it is the tallest in the country. While some criticize this development model for its impact on the landscape, in a capital with rapid population growth, one would expect the cost of housing to rise steadily, along with the housing deficit. This, however, is not the case in Goiânia.
With 1.4 million inhabitants, Goiânia has been one of the fastest-growing Brazilian capitals in percentage terms in recent years, and this growth is projected to continue. The city has also boasted one of the country's hottest real estate markets, with rapid sales velocity. What, then, explains why the city has one of the lowest housing costs in the country, with the average price per square meter at R$4,164—nearly half the national average? This is not limited to market prices. Goiânia also displays other positive indicators regarding its housing challenges. Its average residential sales price per square meter is the lowest relative to per capita income among Brazil’s ten largest cities. The capital of Goiás has one of the lowest shares of slum dwellers among major Brazilian cities: only 0.27% of its population lives in what are officially designated as “subnormal agglomerations,” compared to 5.39% in neighboring Brasília and around 6% nationwide. This is also reflected in the composition of the city's housing deficit: inhabitants of “precarious” housing—the most critical and objective segment of the deficit measurement—make up only 5% of the total deficit, compared to a national average of 15%.
