Hear from the Movement Members

The movement’s strength comes from the thousands of members that are dedicated to the fight for better housing across Brazil. These members are deeply involved in every aspect of housing production — from planning and design to physical construction and governance. Many have dedicated years of their lives to the movement even before they receive housing themselves, participating in organizing and protesting for the right to high-quality, secure housing. On this page, you can hear stories of empowerment and about what makes this movement so critical from the members themselves.

Click here to learn more about the movements, technical assistance firms, and support organizations.

“The home is just the gateway to all other rights that come with it. We in the movement don't fight for just housing.”
Cris Oliveira
Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Terra Leste 1
"For us it was very cool because we stopped thinking about the individual, right? I need one home, and we started to think together, what does the neighborhood need? What does the community need? So we started building slowly together with the larger community."
María das Graças Xavier (Graça)
Secretaria das Mulheres: Movimentos de Moradia da Regiao Sudeste, UMM-SP + UNMP
"We fight for a human right, an individual right. To live well, right! With quality of life in the matter of several buildings, we fight for [empty] city buildings in São Paulo too, those without a social function in the city, huh! There are many que Governments abandon, Then the organization has to the yes something, this work this duty to do this achievement [retrofit] with These buildings. "
Vera Lucia Dias Padilha, Condomínio Iracema Euzebio, Unificação das Lutas de Cortiço e Moradia
Vera Lucia Dias Padilha
Unificação das Lutas de Cortiço e Moradia

Women of the Movement

Women are integral members and irreplaceable leaders of the movement. Representing 80% of the movement’s membership, women’s efforts in advancing the fight for adequate housing in Brazil have been fundamental. Through self management, women reached several achievements, leaving dangerous and unstable housing conditions, acquiring higher levels of education, gaining construction and management skills, and obtaining better jobs. Women across Brazil give this movement strength and inspire other women to do the same.