Brazil promises shelter for flood homeless

Brazil’s president has promised to build up to 8,000 free homes for victims of deadly floods that hit a mountainous region north of Rio de Janeiro earlier this month.

Dilma Rousseff said government and private companies would work together to finance the rehousing of those people made homeless by the disaster. Her government had already pledged some 340 million euros for the rebuilding and rescue operation.

Rousseff said the state and federal governments would pay for 6,000 homes, while businesses would fund 2,000. She also said that they would be more investment in flood prevention measures, including mapping the most at-risk areas.

An estimated 25,000 people were left homeless by the heavy flooding and landslides. More than 830 people have died and over 500 are still missing.

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