The forgotten dimension of the housing policy: reflections on the case of the metropolitan area of Curitiba (State of Paraná)

Abstract In Brazil, the housing policy regained importance over the last fifteen years, with the construction of an institutional framework and the massive production of affordable houses. Several studies were developed, mainly related to the housing program Minha Casa Minha Vida. In this scenario, this article is part of a deeper and latent discussion: it aims to investigate the dynamics involved in the overlap between housing issues and metropolitan areas, spaces of special interest, as they concentrate more than half of the housing deficit and about 80% of informal settlements in Brazil. Through a study of the Metropolitan Area of Curitiba, we seek to discuss the “forgotten dimension”, without which the undertaken efforts may not produce the expected effects.