A year later, nothing had changed in Pinheirinho.
The eviction and subsequent destruction of all houses built on a 1,3 million square meter plot in the Pinheirinho neighborhood of São José dos Campos (SP) occurred on January 22, 2012. Today, exactly one year later, 1.570 affected families are still homeless and depend on the R$ 500 rental assistance paid by the state in partnership with the city government.
Bruno Bocchini
Reporter from Agência Brasil
São Paulo - One year after the repossession of a 1,3 million square meter plot of land in the Pinheirinho neighborhood of São José dos Campos – an action that left approximately 6 people homeless – 1.570 affected families are still without homes and depend on the R$ 500 rental assistance paid by the state in partnership with the city government.
Dalvina Rubens Monteiro da Silva is one of those people who now rely on relatives to supplement their income. "I have no stability at all now because my husband is unemployed. He lost his job, found some odd jobs, but now he's stopped again. I pay R$ 700 in rent. They pay me R$ 500 [in rent assistance] and I have to pay another R$ 200," she says.
She was at home in Pinheirinho in January 2012 when the repossession occurred. Dalvina says she lost her house, which was already finished, and that she had to leave behind appliances and cabinets.
"I lived there for eight years. I was one of the first residents, and my house was run-down. My husband built a beautiful and wonderful house. It's a trauma I went through. I lost everything; all I took was the bed and refrigerator, but the wardrobe and stove remained, and the cupboard also remained," she says.
The eviction and subsequent destruction of all houses built on the site, which occurred on January 22, 2012, was in compliance with a court order for repossession in favor of the bankrupt company Selecta Comércio e Indústria S/A.
The affected people have filed at least 1.042 lawsuits seeking damages for moral and material harm against the state, the city government, and the bankrupt estate of Selecta. "They allege the destruction of their properties with belongings inside, the death of animals, loss of documents, and loss of medical records. Regarding moral damages, they allege the use of disproportionate force during the eviction, physical aggression, insults, and unnecessary humiliation," says public defender Jairo Salvador de Souza in São José dos Campos. The lawsuits are still in the citation phase.
According to the São José dos Campos city hall, rental assistance continues to be paid to families affected by the eviction and has no end date. The city hall and the São Paulo state government are negotiating the construction of a housing complex, in partnership with Caixa Econômica Federal, to house the people who lived in Pinheirinho.
Late this afternoon, former residents of Pinheirinho will participate in an event to commemorate the 12 months since the repossession order, at the Fernando Avelino Lopes Sports Center, in front of the former occupation site.