It was agreed that hotel rates would be released immediately and a temporary rental would be defined this Saturday, the 23rd, for each family, at a value that will be reviewed every six months.
After a protest held on the night of Friday, 22nd, residents of Jaguaré, in the west zone of São Paulo, displaced by the explosion at a Sabesp construction site, reached an agreement to remain in hotels and receive rental assistance until a permanent housing solution is provided for the families. On Friday, they had been notified to leave the hotels, as their stay had not been renewed. Sabesp and Comgás took over the assistance to the affected families, with division of responsibilities.
Threatened to remain in the open, around 60 residents staged a protest on Avenida Presidente Altino and set fire to objects. The road was closed and only reopened at the end of the protest. They claimed that they were told to leave the hotels because the contract signed with the concessionaires responsible for emergency assistance had not been extended. They also demanded definitions about rental assistance and permanent housing, with eventual resettlement.
The meeting, held after the end of the protest, was attended by representatives from Sabesp and Comgás, the Support Management of the Government of São Paulo, the Public Ministry of São Paulo (MPSP) and the State Public Defender’s Office (Defen-SP), in addition to social organizations.
It was agreed that hotel rates would be released immediately and a temporary rental would be defined this Saturday, the 23rd, for each family, at a value that will be reviewed every six months.
The Defender’s Office asked the concessionaires to urgently establish a forecast for compensation, in addition to a provisional payment, without prejudice to other compensation that may be established.
In a note, this Saturday, the 23rd, Sabesp said that, since the beginning of the case, Comgás assumed responsibility for emergency accommodation and temporary accommodation for displaced families. Sabesp was responsible for carrying out social assistance actions, paying emergency aid and recovering affected properties in the community.
“Yesterday, given the discontent expressed by the residents, Sabesp offered to meet with the residents to resolve all the issues that are being presented, regardless of the responsibilities initially assumed. Sabesp reiterates that it will spare no effort to resolve the situation and guarantee decent conditions for all affected families”, he states.
According to the company, as of this Saturday, 23,798 families had received emergency aid of R$5,000. In total, 300 properties were inspected, with cleaning actions, emergency repairs and permanent renovations already carried out in part of the impacted residences. “The Company reinforces its solidarity with the affected families and continues to work to guarantee assistance and recovery in the affected areas”, he says.
The report contacted Comgás. Until the publication of this text, I was still waiting for a response. This space remains open.
