Victory against Gentrification for Rio de Janeiro housing activists

teleSUR English

TeleSUR Correspondent Brian Mier brings us the details of social movements in Rio de Janeiro that successfully pressured the government into converting an abandoned government building into ownership-based social housing. teleSUR

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00:00Located in the heart of Rio de Janeiro's rapidly gentrifying court district, a victory

00:06for a group of local housing rights activists has taken on national significance.

00:11Our correspondent Brian Muir has more.

00:15Nine years ago, a coalition of housing movements in Rio de Janeiro coordinated with hundreds

00:19of landless working class people to occupy an abandoned government social security building.

00:25This year they celebrate the occupation's anniversary knowing that they've successfully

00:29pressured the government to fulfill their constitutionally guaranteed right by transforming

00:34the building into ownership-based social housing.

00:40I've been involved in this process since the very beginning, long before we occupied the

00:44building.

00:45It started as a collaboration between three social movements, the CMP, the MLB, and the

00:51UNMP, who got together and kicked the door in so 28 families could live here.

00:58The Paulo Gianetti occupation is on the forefront of the battle against gentrification.

01:03Located in Rio's port district, which has been designated a special development zone

01:07for big real estate companies, it's surrounded by museums, art galleries, and new middle

01:13class housing developments, which have been forcing out the neighborhood's working class

01:17residents.

01:18Despite empty promises by the mayor's office, the occupation represents the only social

01:23housing initiative in the neighborhood.

01:25But it's not just about housing.

01:30We operate a soup kitchen for people who live on the street.

01:34We have a communications group.

01:37The landless rural workers movement supports us politically.

01:41So it's not just about housing.

01:43This occupation has organic death.

01:49As Brazil's city centers become ground zero for the fight against capitalist real estate

01:54speculation, housing rights activists across the country are celebrating the victory of

01:59the residents of Paulo Gianetti.

02:03Nine years of the Vito Gianotti occupation is an important date for all the social movements.

02:08Mainly because it's been nine years during which we've managed to achieve the regularization

02:12of the property.

02:13We are about to enter the phase of reforms which will guarantee dignified housing ownership

02:18for the 28 families living here.

02:20It's not just important for Rio de Janeiro.

02:22We are celebrating it nationally.

02:26Residents of the occupation are currently negotiating with a construction company to

02:29conduct the government-funded reforms.

02:32Brian Meir, TELUSUR, Rio de Janeiro.

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