The situation in the Loures neighborhood remains “unchanged” with no solution yet for those who remain, according to Kedy Santos, a municipal deputy for CDU at the Loures Chamber.
“The situation is frustrating” for those left homeless, adds Santos, who is also part of the Vida Justa movement, which supports the residents of Talude Militar.
Today, both public services and volunteers suspended cleaning efforts, following a day of activity on Saturday.
Vida Justa plans to issue a similar call for collaboration for next Saturday.
Residents and activists convened to plan future actions and decided to hold a public demonstration on the 30th, according to Kedy Santos.
One proposal is to submit the open letter “Stop the Evictions and Resolve the Housing Situation” at the building where the Council of Ministers meets in Lisbon.
Vida Justa emphasizes that the housing problem extends beyond local authorities and requires central government involvement, advocating for the creation of “a national emergency housing program.”
The open letter launched by Vida Justa on Wednesday has already gathered over three thousand individual signatures and the support of more than a hundred associations and collectives.
Kedy Santos highlighted that the donation campaign for Talude Militar residents “exceeded expectations,” both in material goods and finances.
“At the Talude point, we no longer have the capacity [to receive donations], but a warehouse has been made available to us,” Santos said, indicating that the movement might distribute to “other contexts in need.”
The cleaning operation on Saturday was deemed positive, with 50 volunteers participating at Talude Militar, joined by 40 technicians equipped with machinery and support vehicles, mobilized by the Loures municipality, to collect debris remaining after demolitions.
Loures began demolishing 64 homes on Monday, which housed 161 people, demolishing 51 on the first day and four more on the second.
The operation was suspended following a Lisbon court order after a precautionary measure was filed by 14 residents.
The Loures municipality, led by Socialist Ricardo Leão, is criticized by Kedy Santos for “not considering all situations” before ordering the demolition of precarious homes.
The current response is also lacking: “There are several facilities that the municipality could make available, such as pavilions or gyms, to accommodate people in this emergency situation until a solution is found.”
With help from Vida Justa and local associations, hygiene points have been set up next to the neighborhood.
“During the week, it’s more challenging because people leave for work and often return when it’s already dark,” Santos anticipates.
“Even those staying in accommodations [provided by the municipality] leave their children in the neighborhood because there’s no one to watch them while they work,” notes the municipal deputy.
Out of the 55 families occupying the recently demolished precarious structures, 14 are receiving support from the Loures Municipal Council, which reported addressing 38 households by Friday.
According to the municipality, another 14 families found housing alternatives with relatives or friends, three rejected support, and seven showed no interest in the solutions offered.
The latest available data indicates that three families, with five minors, continue to receive overnight support, and ten families, with 21 minors, are receiving food support.
Five families have accessed the rental market, benefiting from municipal support for the deposit and the first month’s rent, the municipality adds.
