3 Million Properties in Brazil Not Enough

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) October 31, 2011 -- Obelisk International News, Marbella, Spain, October 31 2011. 3 million social housing units in the Brazilian real estate programme Minha Casa Minha Vida will not be enough. According to government figures, Brazil will need 23 million properties over the next 20 years just to meet demand among low-income families.

The Minha Casa Minha Vida project is currently into its second phase and 2 million affordable housing units will be built over the next three years. While these properties in Brazil will go some of the way towards closing the gap between supply and demand, the Ministry of Cities believes millions more will be needed between now and 2031.

Speaking on a recent radio programme, the Housing Secretary Ines Magalhaes explained that the current Minha Casa Minha Vida project will fall far short of fulfilling demand. Official government figures highlight a deficit of 23 million properties among families earning between zero and three times the minimum wage.

Minha Casa Minha Vida Moves Forward

This income group has an allocation of 1.6 million homes, which have been affected by changes in regulations under phase two of Minha Casa Minha Vida. For example, these social housing units are now larger, more expensive and must include solar panels and tiled floors.

Slow government bureaucracy means these changes have only just been finalised and as a result, Ms Magalhaes said that all contracts for housing units for the 0-3 income bracket throughout Brazil have been delayed. However, she reiterated that with the government budget already in place for this year, the Ministry of Cities expects the back-log to be quickly resolved.

Ms Magalhaes also explained more about the holistic nature of this huge investment in Brazilian real estate. As well as homes, Minha Casa Minha Vida is providing considerable opportunities for women. Not only are women becoming homeowners – women signed 94% of Minha Casa Minha Vida contracts signed this year – they are also benefitting from jobs in civil construction through the programme.

Promising Investment Prospects

The social advantages provided by social housing investment in Brazil look set to continue well into the future. Investors too can expect to benefit from this niche market. With a shortage of 23 million homes, the demand for real estate in Brazil from low-income families points to very promising prospects for social housing investment in Brazil over the next two decades.

Although it’s early days yet, Obelisk International believes that the Brazilian government will continue with a third phase of Minha Casa Minha Vida beyond 2014. “This would make sense given the huge success of the first two phases,” comments Gary Hardacre, CEO of Obelisk International, “particularly since the housing shortage in Brazil is so acute. It’s obvious 3 million homes are not enough and we believe investment opportunities in Minha Casa Minha Vida will be part of the Brazilian investment scenario for years to come.”

About Obelisk International: Obelisk International offers select investment opportunities in Brazil in a range of sectors such as social housing, residential real estate and construction. Obelisk gives investors security, profitability and diversity thanks to a combination of close attention to our clients' investment requirements and high quality in-house research and analysis.

For more information on Brazilian investments and to find out about Obelisk International’s latest opportunities for investment in Brazil, contact us on 0034 952 820 319. Via email: info@obeliskinternational.com or visit our website: www.obeliskinternational.com. Follow us on Twitter – @obeliskinvest and Facebook. Join the Obelisk International network on LinkedIn.

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