Legislation for the "Minha Casa, Minha Vida" program is approved, with new rules and expanded incentives.

Partnership between municipal agencies will carry out integrated actions to promote and strengthen Rio's image as a destination for tourism, culture and business - Archive/Rio City Hall

The City Council approved on Tuesday (December 9th) a new Complementary Law that redefines the urban planning rules for projects under the Minha Casa, Minha Vida (My House, My Life) program in Rio de Janeiro. The update modernizes the legislation that has been in effect for 16 years, incorporates incentives from the 2023 Master Plan, and creates more favorable conditions for the implementation of new housing projects in the city. The law, a partnership between the Rio de Janeiro City Hall and the City Council, now goes to Mayor Eduardo Paes for his signature.

The goal is to facilitate the construction of quality housing, suited to the characteristics of each region, encouraging more efficient and sustainable solutions connected to existing infrastructure. Through these new incentives, the municipality seeks to expand the housing supply and provide greater predictability to the approval processes.

"After 16 years, Rio needed to update the rules of the 'Minha Casa, Minha Vida' program, and this milestone delivers exactly that. We modernized the legislation and directed the city's growth to where infrastructure already exists. It's a change that raises the quality of housing projects and creates real conditions to offer sustainable housing integrated into urban planning," emphasizes Mayor Eduardo Paes.

In Planning Areas 1 (Center) and 3 (North Zone), where the city government has been concentrating its revitalization efforts – with installed infrastructure, public transportation and services, as well as policies such as Reviver Centro and Reviver Zona Norte – the changes strengthen the suitability of these regions for housing. The idea is to encourage planned densification in areas already prepared to accommodate new residents, restoring urban vitality to these regions. The regulation also incorporates Band 4 of the program into these areas, expanding access to different income profiles.

In Barra da Tijuca and Recreio, the law establishes specific parameters for density and land use, aligned with the urban characteristics of these neighborhoods and the region's development model. The goal is to ensure predictability, territorial organization, and harmony between new developments and existing infrastructure.

The most impactful changes are occurring in the West Zone. The new law encourages housing models more suited to the territory, such as houses, villages, and single-family or two-family subdivisions, replacing the logic of large buildings. The counterpart contributions will now be directed towards structural improvements within the developments themselves, such as drainage, paving, public lighting, and the upgrading of common spaces, transforming costs into direct investment in infrastructure. The text also creates clear rules for urban planning and addressing irregular occupations and constructions.

– This project restructures and strengthens Rio's housing policy, encouraging new affordable housing in the city center and the North Zone, areas that already have the infrastructure to support it. We are also bringing order to areas on the edge, such as Barra, Jacarepaguá, and Recreio. And, in the West Zone, we are confronting illegal practices and establishing rules that hinder the actions of militias operating in parts of these areas – highlights the president of the City Council, Carlo Caiado (PSD), co-author of the text.

The project also incorporates mechanisms already used in the Integrated Licensing (Licin), which expedite the approval of proposals through self-declaration and automatic analysis for lots up to 40.000 m². It also allows for simplified sanitation solutions such as septic tanks, filters, soakaways, or biodigesters, when technically feasible, reducing operational timelines and costs.

– Social housing projects need to be the ones that benefit most from the logic of the Master Plan, which has brought more modern ways of thinking about urban planning. We cannot forget that there is a high demand for housing from the low-income population. It makes no sense for projects of this nature to remain stalled by a regulatory conflict or outdated legislation. Our goal is to unlock and promote these projects – says councilman Pedro Duarte (independent), author of the original proposal.

Counterparts and benefits:

The legislation creates a progressive system of reciprocity, guaranteeing greater incentives for projects aimed at lower-income families.

• Projects in the lowest price brackets will be exempt from charges;
• In the intermediate price ranges, the contribution will be reduced to between 0,25% and 0,5% of the total cost;
• For the higher income brackets, the percentages already established by law remain in place.

The text also relaxes the building height limits for low-income housing in much of the city, allowing buildings of up to five stories, with the exception of Planning Area 5 (West Zone), where specific rules for land use planning apply.

To guarantee the fulfillment of the counterpart obligations, the partial occupancy permit will be limited to 50% of the units until the required area or public equipment is completed or the responsible party settles the amount due. Furthermore, to access the benefits of the new law, social housing projects must ensure that at least 70% of the units are offered within the financing ceiling of the Minha Casa, Minha Vida program. The definitively approved text is a substitute for Complementary Law Project No. 49/2025, drafted by the Chamber after the first vote on October 23rd.