“To date, of the 55 families that occupied the makeshift constructions that were subsequently demolished, 25 have not contacted the social services of the Loures City Council,” the municipality stated in a press release issued today.
“The 30 families that were open to receiving social support consist of 54 adults and 36 children,” the note clarified, addressing the social support and some of the solutions presented to the families.
Furthermore, “of the 30 families attended by social action services, eight are receiving support from the Loures City Council, 14 have found housing alternatives with relatives or friends, one declined the provided support, and seven have not shown interest in the presented solutions,” the statement highlighted.
The note also emphasized that by March 2025, “around 40 makeshift constructions were identified in a specific area of Bairro do Talude Militar (Quinta da Boiça) in Catujal,” but in July, “an increase of 152 additional constructions was observed, showing an accelerated and uncontrolled growth of this type of illegal construction.”
The municipality also reminded that the Municipal Police and Loures City Council inspectors conduct daily monitoring operations at this and other locations. Whenever a new construction is identified, “the occupants are immediately alerted to the illegal situation they find themselves in and the impossibility of any legal or urban planning compliance,” prompting people to “contact the social services of the municipality to learn about available support.”
According to the statement, of the 30 families open to receiving social support from the Council, “three families accepted overnight accommodations in hotels and food support, one family declined all proposed support, including overnight stays, food, and transportation between the hotel and the workplace, after initially accepting, and returned to Bairro do Talude, and 14 families with children, including ten minors under the age of four, did not accept the proposed solutions, citing housing alternatives with relatives or friends.”
One family “managed to become independent by renting a property, benefiting from municipal support for the payment of the deposit and the first month’s rent.”
The note further stated that “another four families are in the process of becoming independent” with similar support and are being accompanied by municipal services.
However, seven families “ended up not expressing interest in accessing the support solutions presented by social services,” the statement noted.
The City Council added that, “in addition to housing and food solutions, 13 individuals were identified as unemployed and are now being assisted by the Employment Support Office and the Migrant Support Office of Loures City Council, aiming to promote their labor market integration and documentation regularization.”
During Thursday and Friday, technicians from the Employment and Migrant Support offices are providing direct support on the ground at the facilities of a local association. Until Saturday, social action technicians from Loures City Council will continue to be present at Bairro do Talude Militar “to raise residents’ awareness of the importance of seeking municipal social services to learn about the available support,” the note also stated.
The City Council assured that “all families that occupied the makeshift constructions that were subsequently demolished in Talude Militar were contacted, accompanied, and had access to concrete solutions tailored to their situation.”
The Loures City Council also reported that “a meeting has already been requested, with urgency, with the Prime Minister, to define joint solutions to the challenges municipalities face in the housing and illegal territory occupation domains.” This request also follows the resolution adopted by the Municipalities within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area on March 17.
