City Hall inaugurates first apartment blocks at Morar Carioca do Aço, in Santa Cruz
City Hall delivers the keys to 3 apartment blocks of Morar Carioca in the Aço Community - Beth Santos/City Hall of Rio
Rio de Janeiro City Hall inaugurated Morar Carioca do Aço in Santa Cruz, in the West Zone, this Sunday (30/6). The first three blocks of a total of 44 that are under construction were delivered. The first 16 families received the keys and documents for their homes, and the other two blocks will be delivered furnished to residents gradually over the next few weeks.
In total, Morar Carioca do Aço comprises 704 residential units, which will benefit four thousand people with new housing. The project, which is being carried out by the Municipal Urbanization Company, Rio-Urbe, also represents the complete redevelopment and implementation of public services in an area of 195 thousand square meters in the poorest part of the city, the West Zone, where the population has lived in precarious housing conditions for over 50 years.
Investments in the region were approximately R$243 million, of which R$198 million came from the municipality and R$45 million from the Federal Government, via a loan already signed by the City Hall with Banco do Brasil.
Alongside President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes highlighted that Morar Carioca do Aço is a historic reparation. He recalled that in 2020 he visited the train cars where people from the community have lived since the 60s and, at the time, promised to restore dignity to the residents.
– I went to the train cars for the first time in 2020 and my first feeling was of great shame. Then, I decided that if I returned to the City Hall, this would be the first project of my administration. And here I am, three and a half years later, delivering the first furnished units. And as the families leave the train cars, we will demolish the favela and build new units – said the mayor, remembering that the total delivery of the 2026 Morar Carioca do Aço apartments is expected by 704.
President Lula praised the design of the apartments, which have balconies and are furnished. He recalled moments from his life.
– I am very pleased to deliver a house. That is why I am here. We must put an end to the prejudice that poorer people like bad, inferior quality things. Eduardo is always asking for money. And I say: whoever wants money from the federal government does not have to make a speech, they have to present a project. And he always comes with a project and we know that every real invested in Rio is in favor of the working people of the city – stressed Lula.
The apartments at Morar Carioca do Aço consist of a living room, kitchen, bathroom, two bedrooms, laundry area and balcony (average of 50 square meters). Of the 44 buildings, 14 have already been built and are in various stages of completion. The forecast is to deliver 18 buildings by the end of this year. All of them have four floors and four apartments per floor, totaling 16 units per block, with fully accessible apartments on the ground floor.
The works, which began in 2023, are progressing at a fast pace: in addition to the new housing, improvements are also being made to Rua São Gomário, which will be redeveloped along 1,1 meters, up to the intersection with Avenida Cesário de Melo. There are 70 square meters of paved roads, 2,2 km of cycle paths, 720 new public lighting points, nine kilometers of sewage and pumping stations, 10 kilometers of water supply networks, and a reservoir with 3,3 million liters.
In addition to a leisure area of 28 thousand square meters with squares, playgrounds, courts, skate park, stage, Rio de Janeiro gym, common areas, gardens, among other facilities, will also be delivered by the City Hall.
About the Steel Community
The Aço Community in Santa Cruz emerged more than 50 years ago, after a storm that hit Rio in 1967. To shelter the victims, a housing complex called Vila Paciência began to be built in this region. Over the years, other families joined the original families, living in temporary homes, nicknamed wagon houses, which would later give the place its name of Favela do Aço.
Over the course of more than five decades, the Aço community has grown in number of residents, who were living in precarious conditions. To definitively serve this segment of the population, the City of Rio planned the construction of Morar Carioca do Aço and began interventions in the community in 2023.
The first couple to receive the keys to the apartment, Carmelita and Demerval Gomes de Souza, were delighted with their new home. They have lived in the carriage for 54 years.
– I’m very happy to live in a house that has everything: stove, refrigerator, bed, sofa, closet, television. I never thought I would live in a house like this. The old one was made of brick, with a very low ceiling and very hot. Now, it even has a balcony – said Carmelina, who had lived in a train car since she was 3 years old.
Carmelina and Demerval de Souza received the keys and title deed for the first apartment at Morar Carioca in the Aço Community – Beth Santos/City of Rio
About the Morar Carioca program
The Morar Carioca Program includes interventions in 22 communities, benefiting more than 20 homes and impacting the lives of more than 80 residents of Areas of Special Social Interest (AEIS) in the city. The total investment is R$500 million, of which R$450 million will go to integrated urbanization projects and R$50 million will go to land regularization actions. The projects are based on five pillars: urban infrastructure, road connectivity, public lighting, garbage collection, and leisure and landscaping.
In addition to the Steel Community, Morar Carioca has already reached the Chapéu Mangueira hill, in Leme; in Costa Barros, in the Nova Cidade Park (Acari), in Vila Cruzeiro and Cariri, in the North Zone; the Garças Condominium and Caminho Feliz, in Bangu; Santa Maura, on the Ladeira da Encontro, in Jacarepaguá; Parque Nobre, in Camorim; Largo do Corrêa, Murundu, Parque Real and Pousada dos Cavalheiros, in the West Zone.
The Housing Department will also issue more than 40 new property titles, in the largest investment in land regularization actions in the history of the city of Rio.
City Hall delivers the keys to 3 apartment blocks of Morar Carioca in the Aço Community - Beth Santos/City Hall of Rio 
