Shanty towns transformed into vibrant communities in Brazil
In Sao Paulo, a shanty town is transformed to provide decent housing for the urban poor
New hope is sprouting near a future Brazil 2014 World Cup soccer stadium, where a once crime-ridden shanty town has emerged as a vibrant community with skyrocketing property values.
Emerging powerhouse Brazil faces a daunting task in providing decent housing for its millions of urban poor, many of whom languish in slums, known as favelas, on the periphery of major cities.
But in Sao Paulo, the country's most populous and wealthiest state, increased funding and close monitoring has transformed some of these once drug-infested favelas.
A showcase of that policy is Uniao de Vila Nova, a neighbourhood of 32,000 people 25 kilometres from Sao Paulo city centre.
Like many other shanty towns across Brazil, Uniao de Vila Nova was created illegally by people who, unable to afford city rents, cobbled together squalid, wooden shacks in risky or environmentally-protected areas.
But in place of the rickety homes - once routinely swept away by the floodwaters of the nearby Tiete River during the rainy season - the one-million-square metre area has morphed into a clean, safe and proud community.
The changes began a decade ago, when authorities launched a programme to urbanise the favelas. They helped residents upgrade their homes and brought in basic services such as running water, paved roads, electricity and public transport.