The president of IHRU acknowledged a “serious” situation regarding public housing, as highlighted by advocacy groups, during a session at the Assembly of the Republic’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms, and Guarantees. “People started receiving without knowing how and stopped receiving without knowing why,” summed up António Benjamim Costa Pereira.
Criticism from movements like Porta a Porta has focused on IHRU’s lack of response, citing delays of “more than a year” that push “many families to despair across the country.”
Porta a Porta spokesperson André Escoval described the situation as “very serious,” pointing out IHRU’s “severe inability to respond to various programs.”
Escoval noted that communication channels with IHRU (phone and internet) are “inaccessible,” resolving issues only with in-person visits to centers located exclusively in Lisbon and Porto.
“Even in Lisbon, there’s just one technical assistant handling about 20 consultations daily for hundreds of people gathering outside this public service,” he described, demanding the IHRU and government enhance their response and allocate necessary resources.
Costa Pereira acknowledged the challenges, stating, “We are trying to mitigate with great effort and herculean work from our services, both in Porto and Lisbon,” admitting that “people are often frustrated, and rightly so,” as complaint books fill up.
The “underlying issue,” according to Costa Pereira, stems from the PAER, where beneficiaries are automatically generated based on set criteria. “Any inconsistency leads to suspended payments, requiring personal clarification,” he explained, noting that out of the current 129,000 beneficiaries, “over 50,000” face such issues.
This contributes to a higher number of people visiting IHRU’s centers, with just two locations in Lisbon and Porto.
“The centers are constantly at capacity,” he stated, adding that the institute is “working on improvements” by developing other methods to reach people.
“The issue isn’t with service delivery but with the poorly designed program causing these problems,” the IHRU president emphasized.
The expectation was for system interoperability, creating an ideal scenario, but this hasn’t materialized. Delays in data transmission hinder meeting individuals’ needs, leading to these issues,” he observed.
The root problem resides in the program’s foundation, “not even IHRU’s responsibility,” he noted, mentioning that the government “is fully aware” and “working on the program’s revision,” with a new version anticipated soon.
André Escoval concurs on PAER’s flawed design, suggesting Porta a Porta might hold public initiatives to highlight the situation, particularly near IHRU facilities.
