“Quando morar é privilégio, ocupar é um direito”: história, luta e organização política da ocupação Residencial Parintins

Abstract

This research aims at the historical reconstitution of the formation of the housing movement in the Residencial Parintins occupation, demonstrating its relationship with the dismantling of public housing policies in the national context and its state and municipal repercussions. We start from the assumption that the lack of a public housing policy in the municipality mobilized the action of social movements in the fight for the right to housing in Residencial Parintins. For this research project, we carried out a bibliographical review about the history of public policies developed for housing in Brazil, having as an important milestone the period of formation of the Minha Casa Minha Vida Program, and the more contemporary period of crises and regressions in national public policies for housing. The bibliographic research also involved the survey of categories and historical landmarks of housing movements in Brazil, and their specificities in the context of the state of Amazonas and in the municipality of Parintins. In the data collection stage, research was carried out on secondary sources with information about the official documentation and journalistic records of the history of the association of residents of the residential Parintins, protagonist in the political organization of the occupation. We also conducted semi-structured interviews with 04 interviewees who lived in the Residencial Parintins occupation, members of the association and also with the Social Interest Housing Coordination of SEMASTH/Parintins. Through the reports of residents, militants and public bodies, we sought to record the history of the struggle of the social movement of the occupation, its struggles, conquests and improvement services for the neighborhood. The research results showed that the deficit and setbacks in public policies were directly related to the mobilization of residents and organization for the formation of the occupation, with emphasis on the formation of the association of residents of Residencial Parintins. The indifference of the public power in not presenting a solution to the residents directly affected the most vulnerable population, but it was also perceived as a source of mobilization and political organization in the occupation.