Social work in the design of the Minha Casa, Minha Vida program: a normative analysis from a policy design perspective

Abstract

This article analyzes the evolution of Social Work within the context of the Minha Casa, Minha Vida Program (PMCMV), considering its institutionalization as an implementation instrument of Brazil’s social housing policy. The study seeks to understand how this component became consolidated within the program’s design between 2009 and 2025. The research adopts the policy design analytical framework, identifying in the regulations governing the PMCMV the five constitutive elements of policy design: objectives, causal model, policy instruments, target population, and implementation arrangements. A comparative analysis of the ministerial regulations governing Social Work was then conducted to identify continuities, advances, and setbacks over time. The findings indicate a gradual strengthening of Social Work, which evolved from an ancillary obligation assigned to local governments into an institutional guideline and a structuring component of the PMCMV. The analysis revealed conceptual stability regarding citizen participation, quality of life improvement, and the sustainability of housing interventions, accompanied by technical and regulatory developments that enhanced its capacity to articulate with other public policies. These changes contributed to the consolidation and institutionalization of Social Work as a key instrument of Brazil’s housing policy implementation.