Housing deficit is a chronic problem in Brazil, despite the various programs implemented in order to solve this issue. This study aims to analyze the driving forces for housing finances and their impacts, on a regional basis, on the state of Rio Grande do Sul, within the period from 2006 to 2010, by combining three procedures: the shift-share method, the kriging technique, and spatial regression. The results indicate that the credit ranges with more marked increase were those having an intermediate value, that the towns with lower income level benefited the most from the credit, and that there has been a shift in real estate values towards lower-price regions, reducing regional inequalities. That is, the Brazilian program "My House, My Life" has increased credit volumes, but it has not modified the structural aspects of finances.
housing finance; program "My House, My Life"; housing policy
