Deputies are entitled to an apartment of 225 sq.m or a rental for 5500 rubles; check out the real estate.

Members of parliament who do not reside in Brazil can receive housing assistance or occupy one of the 432 functional apartments provided by the Chamber of Deputies. The apartments are furnished and located in the Asa Sul and Asa Norte neighborhoods of the city, distributed across blocks. If they wish, a congressman can live in an apartment with an area of 225 square meters. In the absence of a free apartment, a deputy receives a benefit of 4,253 reais according to the decision of the Mesa 03/2015. Senators receive an amount of 5,500 reais.

The apartments have four bedrooms and two staff rooms on the service area. There is also an entrance hall, a living room, a dining room, and a corridor. One of the bedrooms is a suite with a walk-in closet. The appraisal reports from the Chamber, prepared over the last five years, indicate that some apartments are worth around 2.5 million reais.

Functional real estate and housing allowances are provided to parliamentarians to facilitate their movement in the Federal District. "Brazil is very far from the residences of the deputies. These allowances were created to ease their arrival at the Alvorada Palace, even if they are in the city only from Tuesday to Thursday," said political scientist Rodrigo Prando.

Currently, 366 deputies are using the functional apartments of the Chamber. Some of the apartments are undergoing repairs as they are not suitable for use. The Chamber has started the restoration of the housing in a two-phase process.

The first phase, which has already been completed, involved the renovation of nine buildings, each containing 24 apartments.

The property is intended exclusively for parliamentarians and their families. The transfer of this housing to third parties is prohibited. There are certain criteria for renting out apartments if the opportunity arises. According to the Mesa's decision 03/2015, this includes deputies with disabilities or limited mobility, confirmed by a medical certificate from the Medical Department of the Chamber of Deputies, as well as members of the Mesa of the Chamber of Deputies and parliamentarians who are spouses, grandchildren, grandparents, fathers, or brothers of the previous deputy from the last legislative session, provided that they agree to occupy the same apartment.

If a deputy is not re-elected, he will have 30 days to return the apartment to the Housing Coordination of the Chamber of Deputies. If he is able to remain in his position, he can stay in the functional apartment if he wishes. Those who were elected in the first legislative session will be assigned by lot.

When the legislative assembly changes, apartments are reserved and allocated independently of the waiting list to elected parliamentarians who meet the specified criteria. According to the decision, beneficiaries must take care of the space, return the housing in the same condition in which they occupied it, and are prohibited from carrying out renovation work that alters the original format.

Housing assistance, provided in the case of occupied apartments, can be paid monthly in the categories of "reimbursement" or "type." In the first case, confirmation must be provided in the form of an invoice or receipt issued by the property owner. When paid in cash, a tax of 27.5% on personal income tax is withheld. In 2023, the total expenses of all deputies for housing assistance amounted to nearly 4 million reais.

Duration of stay

Some deputies have been living in these accommodations since 2011, such as deputies Alceu Moreira (MDB), Alice Portugal (PCdoB), Augusto Coutinho (Republicanos), Benedita da Silva (PT), and Lincoln Portela (PL). The press service of the Chamber reported that functional housing can be occupied by deputies appointed as ministers, suspended for up to 120 days (in accordance with the Constitution and the internal regulations of the Chamber), and those elected to the Senate (reciprocity).