Moradia como serviço: análise de uma política pública de habitação alternativa contra a vacância de imóveis no centro do Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

The Rio de Janeiro’s government has outlined the importance of reducing the vacancy in city’s downtown through efficient use and exploitation of idle capacity to stop the process of urban deterioration. However, the status quo of public housing policies turns not to be an efficient way once it focusses on facilitating the individual acquisition of real estate. The emerging social, historical, and economic contexts seem to present an opportunity for improvement. The hypothesis arises that there is an alternative public policy for adequate housing to serve as a solution to the public problem. A rationalist approach deduces that the “servitization” of urban property results in Housing as a Service, which encourages the disaggregated and fragmented use of urban property. Practices such as Coliving and P2P Accommodation exemplifies the logic of Housing as a Service. The hypothesis is confirmed once Housing as a Service presents itself as an adequate solution for efficient use and exploitation of idle capacity. A predictive analysis, with the aid of the benchmarking process guided by Portugal's experience with Alojamento Local, lists some risks and benefits of the housing policy solution. A cost-benefit analysis concludes that the risks can be mitigated, and the benefits meet Reviver Centro's objectives. Finally, it is concluded that Housing as a Service needs to be encouraged and regulated. To this end, this study analyzes the insufficient attempts at regulation to finally contribute with ideas for a possible adequate regulation of Housing as a Service, again resorting to the benchmarking process based on Portugal’s experience.