Juiz de Fora and the popular housing: the Alto Santo Antônio

Abstract

Juiz de Fora is a city situated in the southeast of Minas Gerais state and near the boundary of Rio de Janeiro state. The city polarizes a wide region as a service render and a commercial center. Since its consolidation as a city until nowadays, Juiz de Fora has always been a reference as a locus of formation, occupation and mobility of the work force. The popular housing history is yet do be told, but in the last decade it has been an increasing of poverty and a higher pressure on lands for housing by the ones who were excluded from the land and real state market. This study aims to analyze the Alto Santo Antônio as an example of an irregular occupation in a risk area which is completely forgotten by the official assistance, since it is not even recognized by the city hall.