Brazil launches 85,000 new homes under Minha Casa Minha Vida program

The federal government announced the selection of proposals to build 85,000 new housing units under the Minha Casa Minha Vida (MCMV) program. The plan allocates 50,000 units to rural areas and 35,000 to urban zones, representing a 66 % increase over the original target. Funding of roughly R$ 10 billion will come from the Fundo de Desenvolvimento Social (FDS).

The “Entidades” stream targets families with a gross monthly income of up to R$ 3,200 and requires proposals from residents’ associations, housing cooperatives and unions that submit projects to Caixa Econômica Federal. The “Rural” stream supports families with annual income up to R$ 50,000 and includes farmers, Indigenous peoples, quilombola communities and other traditional groups.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, speaking at the ceremony in Brasília’s Palácio do Planalto, highlighted the role of social movements, saying “you are the soul of this program and the protagonists who bring houses to families that need them most.”

Co‑ordinator Ângela Cristina Ferreira of the Movimento de Trabalhadoras e Trabalhadores por Direitos noted that the Entidades modality reduces bureaucracy and reaches people in “extreme vulnerability.”

Vânia Marques, president of the Confederação Nacional de Trabalhadores Rurais e Agricultores Familiares (Contag), stressed the impact of the rural component for agricultural families and traditional communities.