Overcoming access difficulties
The My House, My Life Rural Program goes where no other housing program had been. Often, it’s been necessary to build a road or traverse rivers to carry the construction materials to their destinations. But the government's efforts have been worthwhile. If it weren’t for the program, most beneficiaries in rural areas would not have been able to build or renovate their homes. Often, the farmer contracts the financing, purchases the materials and builds the house with his own hands and the help of friends, relatives and neighbors. Thanks to such camaraderie, money is saved to build an even bigger and better house.

How it works
House construction obeys cultural and climate specificities. There are differences in housing for indigenous and former escaped slave communities (“quilombolas”), for example. To access the financing, families seek out city or state governments or an organizing entity (association, cooperative or other type of organization). This entity is responsible for the preparation of projects and mediates between families and funding institutions like Caixa Econômica Federal and Banco do Brasil. Beneficiary families also receive technical training and guidance on managing rural properties, rural cooperatives, women's participation in property management and actions aimed to encourage young people to continue living in the countryside