The end of slums? Planning, participation and removal of families in Belo Horizonte

Abstract

Unlike what has been observed in various parts of the world, the city of Belo Horizonte has presented a decrease in the number of slums and their residents, which indicates an intense process of removal of families, conducted by the State itself. The article focuses on public policies and planning for slums in Belo Horizonte in recent years, showing that the governmental practices in slums have moved in the opposite direction of the social movements’ struggles and of the historical achievements of their populations: first, regarding the guarantee of the families’ right to remain at the place and, second, concerning the right of citizen participation. If progress has been made in the urban consolidation of slums and public services, what least advanced was the appropriation and use of urban space as a right, although the Federal Constitution and the City Statute guarantee the right to housing as a fundamental right, in an attempt to fulfil the social function of urban land.