The Municipal Project - GSD Cantinho do Céu Studio in São Paulo
Cantinho do Céu is on the list of cities to be upgraded by the São Paulo Housing Agency (SEHAB). The project is part of an effort to reclaim the Billings reservoir as an important water resource of the metropolis. Currently the water quality of the lake is so impacted by pollution of informal cities and industries in its watershed that swimming is impossible due to the presence of E. coli and other contaminants. When children fall into the lake they develop rashes and stomach aches. Besides its failure to be a recreational asset, the Billings reservoir is seriously compromised as a water resource for São Paulo. São Paulo hopes to better the water quality of the reservoir and the lives of the people in the whole watershed through an urban rehabilitation program modeled after the successful Guarapiranga reservoir program nearby. Through funds of the City, the State of São Paulo and the Federal Government the São Paulo Housing Agency plans to upgrade over 120 favelas in São Paulo, one of them being Cantinho do Céu. There the city will embark on a four year construction project. Streets will be paved and houses connected to electricity, potable water and sewage lines. Endangered dwellings in erosion prone slopes will be demolished with families relocated in replacement housing. Funds are set aside for the development of a waterfront with recreational value.