THE PATTERNS OF PROTECTION FOR HOUSING COMMONS: Building Occupations in São Paulo

This article discusses the reproduction of housing as a commons in S & atilde;o Paulo. It analyzes the occupation of vacant real estate properties and their subsequent transformation into low-income housing in central S & atilde;o Paulo as instances of commoning. It examines the mechanisms through which housing commons are protected, with a particular focus on the mediating role of social movements and property claims. We draw on a combined methodology of participatory action research and semi-structured interviews to explore the dynamics between the commons as a political ideal and its practical application in the urban environment, focusing on the long-term sustainability of housing commons amid capitalist urbanization. Through the lens of two autonomous housing projects, Dandara and Marisa Let & iacute;cia, we illustrate the transformation of occupied buildings into permanent housing through collective self-management. We also consider the protection of housing as commons through five processes: regularization, restoration, integration, ideation and federation. Our analysis calls for further research into the potential for creating interconnected commons ecosystems.