Final answer:
Favelas are squatter settlements that originate as self-constructed informal settlements without formal ownership, and lack basic public services. Over time, they may develop into established neighborhoods but remain symbolic of the urban poor's housing challenges in Brazil's rapidly expanding cities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yes, favelas can be considered squatter settlements. Favelas in Brazil are often synonymous with self-constructed slum areas that start as informal settlements without formal ownership rights.
Over time, some favelas can evolve into more established neighborhoods, but they typically originate from a need for housing by people who migrate to the cities in search of employment and better opportunities.
This influx of people contributes to the rapid expansion of urban centers, with favelas often lacking essential public services such as policing, electricity, sewage systems, and transportation.
Unlike the pattern in North American cities where the urban poor often live near the central business districts, in Latin America, including Brazil, the poorest communities are found in the far suburbs, where public infrastructure is insufficient.
Squatter settlements like favelas and barrios represent these outskirts, where people settle without formal permission and where the government takes years to provide fundamental utilities like sewers, water, and roads.
Caracas's barrios and Rio de Janeiro's favelas are noteworthy examples where the urban poor live in dense, self-constructed settlements on the peripheries of the cities, highlighting a stark contrast to wealthier, well-serviced urban cores.
As people continue to move from rural areas to cities, these informal settlements keep expanding, often forming isolated communities that can become hubs for crime and gang activities, as they operate with less city governance and services.