Prestes Maia in Sao Paulo has been "occupied" by homeless people since 2002.

The residents hang banners stating their human rights on the outside of the building.

As you walk up the stairs there is damp and decay.

Families walk by this every day to reach their cramped rooms.

Conditions are cramped - nine live in this room which divided between "bedrooms" and living areas.

Clothes are hung in the corridors to dry.

Residents must share primitive washing facilities.

Despite their problems the residents have set up their own free library.

For the children of Prestes Maia, the library can be a place to escape.