MSTS occupies building in downtown São Paulo
Around 320 families belonging to the Sacomã Homeless Movement (MSTS) are occupying a private building in the central region of the capital. The occupation began on Saturday (20) around 22 pm.
Flavia Albuquerque
Reporter from Agência Brasil
São Paulo – Around 320 families belonging to the Sacomã Homeless Movement (MSTS) are occupying a private building in the central region of the capital. The occupation began on Saturday (20) around 22 pm. Part of this group was camping in front of the Housing Center, in the same region. After being heard by the municipal Housing Secretary, José Floriano de Azevedo Marques Neto, the protesters dismantled the camp. However, they decided to remain in the occupied building until their demands are met.
According to the MSTS coordinator, Elenice Tatiane dos Santos Alves, the group's only demand is that its members be included in the city's registry so they can receive benefits from housing projects. “We don't want rent subsidies, money, nothing like that. We want housing. To show the government that the population is very needy and requires help.”
The movement originates from the Heliópolis community, and many of the participants had their homes burned down in a fire a month ago. In addition to this building, another group has been occupying a property that belonged to a university since April. The 950 families have already been registered, but according to the MSTS (Movement of Homeless Workers), they have not yet been assisted. Some of these people will remain in the new occupation to support the new members of the movement.
One of the occupants, unemployed 25-year-old Angela Cachimbá, said she is living in the building with her sister and one of her five nephews. She was paying rent for a house that burned down in Heliópolis, but she couldn't be registered by the city because the property wasn't in her name. "Since I had nowhere to go, I decided to join the movement and try to get a house," she said.
Bruna dos Santos is 18 years old and has a two-year-old daughter. Her husband is a locksmith earning R$ 900,00, which, for the family, is not enough to continue paying the R$ 400,00 rent on the house where they are living. “Since he’s the only one working, we can’t stay there. I heard about this job opportunity and decided to take advantage of it to try and register,” she said.