Brazilian Chamber Approves R$1.3 bn Flood Relief Package for Minas Gerais

The Chamber of Deputies approved Provisional Measure 1342/26, allocating R$1.3 billion of extraordinary credit for emergency actions in areas hit by heavy rains, primarily municipalities in Minas Gerais' Zona da Mata that were flooded at the end of February and early March 2024.

The funds are split among several programs: R$500 million will pay a cash assistance of R$7,300 to each family affected by the floods; another R$500 million is earmarked for the Residential Leasing Fund to build roughly 2,500 housing units; R$300 million will support the Guarantee Fund for Operations to ease credit access for individuals and companies; and R$5 million will strengthen the Unified Social Assistance System in the state.

The measure, edited in March, now proceeds to the Senate, where a related law has already been approved to guarantee credit against natural disasters in Minas Gerais. Deputies from various parties praised the step, while some urged additional resources for Rio Grande do Sul, which also suffered severe flooding.

Separately, a judge in Juiz de Fora ordered R$217 million to be used for slope stabilization to mitigate further landslide risks in the region.