The social housing issue in Brazil has been characterized by great advances in the last decades, both in academic discussions and in public policies. However, despite undeniable progress, some doubts emerge regarding the effectiveness of public guidelines and the role of academia on overcoming chronic problems of Brazilian urban planning that, ultimately, lead to deficits in housing expansion. Despite growth in the volume of scientific knowledge, academia does not have enough data to properly characterize this panorama. Thus, this paper seeks to discuss Brazilian scientific production about housing from a bibliometric point of view, focusing primarily on the last decade. Results point to a detachment of values and ideals adopted in public administration and academic discourse that ultimately raises questions about the real contribution of researchers to the arduous task of reducing social segregation in Brazil.