This thesis analytically explores the public arena shaped around the issue of precarious housing in the cities of London and Rio de Janeiro. The arguments are based on the investigation of four social movements formed in these cities, tracing relationships between rights, citizenship and participation. The research presents an overview of the housing issue in Brazil and United Kingdom, grounded on different social experiences related to the theme. Based on a methodology that proposes the distinction of dimensions related to experiences (integrative, strategic and cultural), the thesis explores the limits between the private and public on issues related to housing and suggests interpretative categories for understanding contemporary social movements struggling for housing as well as their demands, which involve individualized access to decent homes and the right to the city. Some themes stand out from the analysis, among them the individualization of public housing policies, the precariousness experienced by individuals who undergo threats of removal, the importance of analysing social housing movements that are organized in the peripheries, and the demands for spatial recognition in which they operate.