A homeless family in São Paulo, Brazil has been provided with a transitional tiny home through a program called Vila Reencontro, offering hope for the estimated 53,000 unhoused people in the area.
Life change: Forced into homelessness at the height of the pandemic, Erica Lacerda de Souza and Bruce Lee Sousa have lived with their son in a tiny home for the past six months thanks to the Vila Reencontro.
* They are one of 37 families in São Paulo who have benefitted from this new program.
* Sleeping on the floor of São Paulo’s Barra Funda Terminal and seeking shelter eventually led them to Vila Reencontro, providing a safer and more stable living situation.
Global housing crisis: The tiny home initiative in São Paulo is part of a worldwide effort to house the estimated 150 million unhoused individuals, accelerated by various economic challenges and COVID-19.
* The program was created as a solution to overflow in shelters, with a goal of providing independent, permanent housing and other needed services including job support.
Program details: The government-funded Vila Reencontro, unveiled in December 2022, currently operates two villas each with a capacity of 160 people with another two set to open in late August.
* These are meant to be transitional homes, allowing families to stay for up to 36 months, and priority is given to families with young children who have been unhoused for fewer than two years.
* The tiny homes offer a living-bedroom, kitchenette, and bathroom. While there, families receive meals and support from other social services.
Alternative housing solution: Alongside Vila Reencontro, a non-profit organization’s program called Morar Primeiro, or Live First, also seeks to provide housing to those in need by purchasing apartment buildings and houses.
* The program seeks to transition tenants to ownership over time.
Outlook: Both Erica Lacerda de Souza and Bruce Lee Sousa have educational ambitions and are hopeful about rebuilding their lives within two years thanks to the security and hope provided by their tiny home.
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