ocupas

Ocupas is a term used in Portuguese-speaking contexts to describe people who occupy buildings or land without the owner's permission. It is most commonly associated with urban occupations of vacant or abandoned properties, often undertaken as a response to housing shortages. Occupations can be short-term or long-term and may involve organized groups that share housing and resources.

Etymology and usage: The word derives from the verb ocupar (to occupy). In Brazil and Portugal, ocupação and ocupantes are used in media, policy debates, and social discourse to refer to the act of occupying as well as the people who perform it. The term can carry neutral, sympathetic, or pejorative connotations depending on context.

Legal and policy context: Squatting is typically illegal under property law, with authorities able to evict occupants through court orders. Some jurisdictions have procedures for mediation, social housing intake, or regularization programs to address legitimate occupancies or to convert vacant properties into housing. Eviction often involves social services or relocation measures. There is a distinction in some contexts between ocupação, invasão, and desocupação.

Social implications: Occupations can provide urgent shelter and arise from housing shortages, while also raising concerns about safety, urban management, and property rights. Debates commonly center on the balance between the right to housing and the right to property, the responsibilities of municipalities, and the effectiveness of eviction versus alternatives such as social housing or regularization.

See also: Squatting; Housing rights; Urban policy; Regularização fundiária; Desocupação.