The political party Livre has presented a resolution project at the Assembleia da República, intending to tackle the critical issue of affordable housing in Portugal. Jorge Pinto, a deputy from Livre, emphasized the urgent need for solutions to the dramatic increase in evictions, many of which go unrecorded due to the lack of contracts or non-renewal.
Livre proposes that the state, in collaboration with local authorities, conduct a thorough assessment of families at risk of eviction, as well as those already without housing, to identify needs for rehousing, social support, and psychological assistance.
Pinto stressed the importance of developing more effective support policies based on this data, utilizing tools such as the Porta de Entrada program to assist families at risk of eviction or homelessness. “We are talking about people who work full-time yet cannot afford housing, either to buy or rent, because the state and local authorities are not providing opportunities for them,” he stated.
The resolution urges the government to revise financial support to reflect current rent levels and ensure more effective cooperation between local authorities, the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU), and the Institute of Social Security to provide integrated social and housing support to those facing eviction.
The party also calls for the prompt release of funds from the Emergency Housing Fund, an initiative by Livre included in the 2024 state budget, which remains unregulated. Pinto noted that this fund, financed by 25% of the Stamp Duty on real estate transactions, could generate “100 million euros annually for temporary housing” to address emergencies.
Questioned about the government’s political will to implement such recommendations, Pinto remarked, “If there is will, there hasn’t been much urgency.” He cited the Emergency Housing Fund, which received approval over a legislative term ago, but still awaits implementation due to a lack of government initiative.
“This urgent issue, perhaps one of the most pressing our country faces, deserves a more proactive government, one that would capitalize on the groundwork already laid for this emergency fund,” Pinto asserted. He recalled past efforts where collaborative initiatives succeeded in resolving the issue of makeshift housing in Portugal.
“We aim to replicate that collective effort, but that requires goodwill, which is uncertain as the government seems to place more trust in the market than in the necessary state action to tackle these challenges,” he concluded.
