Regularização fundiária urbana de interesse social e direito à moradia digna: a percepção dos moradores do Conjunto Jardim Liberdade em Belém, PA

Abstract

This study investigates the perception of residents in the Jardim Liberdade Housing Complex, in Belém (PA), regarding the social-interest land regularization initiative carried out under the Chão Legal Program. The objective is to assess whether there are indications that this public policy contributed to the right to adequate housing, in accordance with international standards defined by the UN. The choice of the object is justified by the critical context of the capital of Pará, which, in 2010, concentrated the highest percentage of population living in subnormal agglomerations in the country (54%), according to the 2010 Census, making the adoption of inclusive housing policies urgent. In this context, the Chão Legal program, instituted by the Municipality of Belém in 2010, was the main municipal instrument for urban land regularization until 2021, when the Municipal Government of Belém created the Terra da Gente Program. With a qualitative approach, the research adopts the case study as its methodological strategy. Interviews were conducted with public managers, community leaders, and residents, in addition to the application of structured questionnaires to 134 families, corresponding to more than 90% of the households in the area. The study also involved documentary analysis and a multidisciplinary literature review in the fields of Law, Urbanism, Architecture, and Social Sciences. The results indicate that, according to the perception of those benefiting from the policy, although structural weaknesses persist—such as poor urban infrastructure, lack of public facilities, and social vulnerability—the policy contributed to strengthening tenure security and expanding the institutional visibility of the community. Based on the identification of positive aspects and limitations of the project’s implementation, mainly pointed out by residents, the study contributes proposals for improving the public policy of land regularization in Belém.