The Portuguese Socialist Party (PS) leader José Luis Carneiro has proposed urgent housing and affordable accommodation solutions in a letter to social-democratic counterpart Luís Montenegro. He outlined eight key action areas focused on addressing housing needs.
Carneiro emphasized financial reinforcement, urging Portugal to develop a new industrial construction cluster, hit hard by the crisis 15 years ago. He advocated for investments in innovation, like modular and industrialized construction, to provide quicker, cost-effective, and quality housing solutions.
Highlighting the importance of local authorities, Carneiro stressed that municipalities should possess the necessary financial, technical, and human resources to implement effective local housing policies, as they are best acquainted with local needs and conditions.
The PS leader called for increased funding for current rental promotion programs, including the Housing Access Support Program (1.º Direito), the Youth Rental Support Program (Porta 65), the Affordable Rental Program, and the Controlled Cost Construction Program.
Carneiro also proposed a National Affordable Housing Construction Program to expand public housing for middle-income families through rehabilitation, construction, and purchase of properties for affordable rental.
Following the establishment of a National Urgent Accommodation Pool in 2021, Carneiro suggested expanding it to address emergencies like the Talude Military situation in Loures, Lisbon district.
This urgent accommodation pool could temporarily house families while modular constructions are completed in a few months.
The leader stressed the importance of prioritizing the National Student Housing Support Program, collaborating with higher education institutions, and assisting low-income displaced students.
Carneiro advocated for reforming the institutional model for public housing policy management, particularly in the Housing and Urban Rehabilitation Institute (IHRU), to reduce bureaucracy and enhance decentralization.
He highlighted the need to expedite legislative processes related to the Construction Code.
Beyond these concrete responses and existing tools expansion, Carneiro deemed it necessary to plan medium- and long-term investments to provide “predictability to housing policies and encourage industry.”
The PS will soon present these measures to parliament, either as law projects or proposals during the State Budget discussions for 2026.
