Trajectory of the formal housing stock - São Paulo, 2000/2020

Abstract

This article presents and discusses, for the first time, the trajectory of the formal housing stock in the city of São Paulo between 2000 and 2020. Despite the significance of the subject, there are practically no studies. Starting from new detailed data from the municipal real estate register, we build a general picture of the residential stock and its transformations by typology and values in the last two decades. São Paulo has undergone profound transformations in its stock, moving from a horizontal lower standard predominance to the leadership of medium-standards vertical properties, with also significant growth of high-standard vertical properties. The effects of two main urban instruments seem to have been small. The dynamics of values charged by the territorial tax, on the other hand, indicates an expressive appreciation, being higher among high-standard properties, especially horizontal ones, but also vertical ones. These increases occur continuously, but were concentrated in the newly established value tables, indicating decisions to follow the rises seen in the market, probably for budgetary reasons, making the median values more differentiated over time, and the tax structure more progressive.