Social Participation in The Program “Minha Casa, Minha Vida”: Analysis of Municipal Housing Councils

Resumen

The study analyzes social participation in housing policies through Munic
ipal Housing Councils (MHCs), in legal and practical terms, focusing on the anal
ysis of participation in the Program “Minha Casa, Minha Vida” (PMCMV). The 
investigation occurred in four municipalities in the Zona da Mata meso-region of 
the state of Minas Gerais (Brazil), with the assistance of methods such as docu
mentary research, non-participant observation and semi-structured interviews. 
The MHCs in the municipalities of Visconde do Rio Branco, Ponte Nova and 
Viçosa were inactive. However, the MHC of the municipality of Ubá was active. 
Thus, even though the MHCs are institutionalized channels of social participa
tion, we concluded that their role, especially in the PMCMV, is shifted towards 
addressing bureaucratic issues.