What Mr Prescott has done essentially is to split the difference on housing numbers.

ECONOMIST: The south-east

Official responsibility for housing is split between federal, state and local governments.

ECONOMIST: Brazil��s (pre)occupying housing problem

Key findings were split into six areas: households, housing, neighbourhoods, communities, empowerment and health.

BBC: Last Updated: Friday, 2 March 2007, 12:18 GMT