Nadia Somekh, a guest on Betoneira, speaks about housing for all. Drawing on her extensive experience in the public sector as an architect, manager, and activist, Somekh begins the conversation by noting that while public housing policies in Brazil are not yet where they need to be, progress is being made. Her research on verticalization shows that, since 1957, zoning and urban planning regulations in São Paulo have systematically excluded low-income populations from apartments. For instance, these regulations prohibited the construction of studio apartments on Avenida Nove de Julho and Avenida Paulista.
The architect points out that there is a lack of shelter for the country's poorest populations, arguing that initiatives like the Minha Casa, Minha Vida program function more as income-commitment schemes for workers than as genuine social housing programs. Historically, urban regulation has marginalized low-income communities, denying them access to the housing market.
