Why do people build favelas

However, since its promising early days the program has come to represent forced occupation and torture in more recently occupied communities. Amid the current economic crisis and cuts to the state security budget, the pacification program is facing its most challenging period yet.

In Brazil, a black worker is paid on average Young, black men from the favelas are most likely to be victims of police violence in Rio: between and , of 1, registered cases of killings by on-duty police, Favelas A Lawyer Responds: What is a Favela? I had to adapt to a new world, one of narrow streets and steep stairs, of small windows overlooking dark alleys where electrical cables tangle.

Once I did, I was able to see how the favela follows its own rules, its own logic, and its own codes. You'll now receive updates based on what you follow!

Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users. About Contact Submit Advertise. Change country. Log out. Share Share Facebook. About this author. Read comments. Did you know? The easiest part of building a house in a favela is the foundation and roof because people come together to make it.

Homes are not the only part of the community that residents build themselves; there are many community-built public infrastructure projects within favelas. There are even some instances, like in Asa Branca , where the self-made infrastructure—in this case sewerage—was high enough quality to integrate into the formal system.

The self-made nature of favela construction is born of necessity and is often precarious early on, but ultimately can transform into an asset of the community. Policies should take into account the design of existing infrastructure and recognize that the original design of these infrastructure systems was a response to local needs and circumstances.

Adjustments to this must therefore involve deliberate and meaningful community consultation. A collective identity is a positive attribute of favelas and policies should work to build on and strengthen this identity. There are over 1, favelas in Rio , and each of these communities has a unique history. It is critical these stories be respected when developing policies because there is often a stronger sense of identity in favelas than in the formal city.

When I started to really look, I started to admire the beauty: the colors, the opposition between the favela and the formal city and this type of nature. At night the favela seems like a giant Christmas tree because of all the various lights turned on. There are many people who wish to stay in their communities, even if the choice was not theirs to move there in the first place. Living in a place where one feels comfortable and proud is important not only for the well-being of a person, but also for the broader ecosystem the person lives in.

Housing policy design should bolster this. I arrived here and there were three huts in the mud. I help the transformation of this area because I like it. I raised my seven children here. Asa Branca saved my life.