Student: Isabela Ramalho dos Santos MAC1

Teacher: Silvia Domingos

Opinion essay

Should we create more socially mixed residential areas, where rich people live
next to poorer people, instead of in separate communities?

To be able to answer this question, we must consider that not all communities
have the same level of infrastructure. The poorest areas in our country, for
example, are far away from universities, hospitals and police stations not to
mention the lack of parks and squares. However, everybody needs and
deserves the same level of public services quality.

In my view, poor people have few options to choose a place to live. Not having
money to buy or rent a house in a suitable neighborhood, they end up living in
regions with basic or even insufficient resources. But the same cant be said
about the rich ones, they can afford the costs of a comfortable life. Yet some
people still say it is a matter of living life according to what we can pay for, I
think this is simply because they are not aware of the social problems and its
consequences.

Although there is a huge social inequality, I believe that is the duty of

governments to provide health care, safety and education to the whole country,
not just in a specific area. It is not about rich and poor people living next to each
other. It is about the rich and poorest ones having the same life quality.