The Chamber of Ribeirão Preto (SP) approved this Monday (9) a bill that provides temporary compensation of R$810 per month for families to vacate homes in areas at risk of flooding in the South Zone of the city.
The proposal sent by City Hall was accepted urgently, by 13 votes to 3, and without any of the 12 amendments presented by opposing councilors, who were trying to expand financial aid.
The benefit is intended for residents of the so-called self-rescue zone (ZAS), next to the Santa Tereza Dam, where the Vida Nova Community is located, close to Avenida Adelmo Perdizza.
🔎Self-rescue zone (ZAS) is one located immediately below a dam where a stream or river flows, and in the event of a breach, there is no time for official Civil Defense bodies to intervene for rescue.
Technical reports from the Technological Research Institute (IPT) and Civil Defense inspections indicate a real risk of serious flooding in the area with the increase in rainfall.
City Hall accelerated the processing of the program to meet recommendations from the Public Ministry, which demands the preventive evacuation of residents exposed to danger.
With approval by councilors, the municipal Executive has up to 30 days to publish the decree that will regulate registration and service flows.
What the bill provides
The approved text establishes the Temporary Social Assistance Protection Program ZAS - Santa Tereza, which will operate in stages between different municipal bodies.
According to the text, Civil Defense is responsible for identifying homes threatened by flooding. Based on this, the Sub-Secretariat of Housing is in charge of carrying out a survey of family nuclei and creating a housing registry, while the Secretariat of Social Assistance (Semas) carries out the active search and socio-assistance assessment.
The financial compensation will be in the fixed amount of R$810 per month per family unit, preferably deposited in a digital social account in the name of the woman responsible for the household.
The benefit will initially be granted for up to six months. If the social assessment proves that the family's vulnerability and the need to vacate persist, the payment may be extended for another six months.
The law establishes that the aid is temporary and does not replace definitive housing solutions, and families must be accompanied for subsequent inclusion in social housing programs.
In defense of the proposal, the government leader in the Chamber, councilor Franco Ferro (PP), highlighted that the focus is on saving lives in the face of imminent storms in the region.
"These families need to leave a risk area within a strict deadline established by the Public Ministry. The Executive prepared the proposal considering the financial capacity of the municipality", stated Franco Ferro.
Despite the approval of the majority, the matter was the target of criticism from parliamentarians in the House, who mainly pointed out that the value is insufficient for the local furniture market, that there is no indication of where the City Hall will withdraw resources for the program and that municipal councils were not heard.
Councilor Duda Hidalgo (PT) cited the lack of properties available for rent worth R$810 and criticized the 180-day deadline, highlighting that the rental market in Ribeirão Preto requires longer contracts.
Furthermore, he argued that the Municipal Housing Council sent a letter on September 25 requesting discussions about risk areas before the rainy season and was ignored by City Hall, creating a "hastily designed project".
"This project came incomplete and without dialogue because City Hall ignored housing advice and movements," he said.
Judeti Zilli (PT) also highlighted that the text was prepared "at the drop of a hat" and criticized the fact that the law does not mention the monitoring of municipal councils related to the topic.
"This project was born as a result of pressure from the Public Ministry on climate change. It does not include the Municipal Social Assistance Council and does not even mention the Housing Council. The amendments were an attempt to humanize the project and provide transparency to the actions", he stated.
André Rodini (União) emphasized that the project came without a census with the exact number of people affected and without explaining the origin of the funds.
Furthermore, he pointed out that the amount represents a temporary transfer of income that does not resolve the permanent removal into new housing and mentioned that other risk areas, such as Favela da Locomotiva, did not receive similar attention.
"The project does not clearly say how many families there are or where the money will come from. What we are seeing is a temporary transfer of income that does not guarantee where these people will move with dignity. There is no plan for the delivery of permanent homes", he criticized.
