“The PRR would have been unachievable if there hadn’t been coordination between the IHRU, the Recuperar Portugal Mission Structure, and the authorities, who have been unparalleled in their proximity and adjustment to the situation“, stated the chairman of the Board of Directors of IHRU, Benjamim Pereira, while noting that the process is not yet complete.
Benjamim Pereira was speaking in Lisbon at an event organized by Recuperar Portugal, dedicated to the latest review for the simplification of the plan.
The IHRU chairman recalled that the notice dedicated to 1.º Direito was open from November 2021 to April 2024 and that a significant portion of applications was submitted only at the final stage.
In total, more than 8,000 applications were received, he indicated, highlighting the work associated with their evaluation.
The 1.º Direito is a housing support program aimed at people living in inadequate conditions without financial means.
The IHRU noted that the special financing regime covered 26,000 housing units, a number that now reaches 31,000, including affordable housing.
“This would have been unachievable without an excess pool to complete what could not be fulfilled over time,” he remarked.
Benjamim Pereira also highlighted the merging of goals, one of the changes introduced by the latest review for the simplification of the plan, which was approved today by the European Council, illustrating that the goal of 26,000 homes was being met, but there was a deficit in the affordable housing component.
“Why not merge these goals? That’s what happened and I thank Fernando Alfaiate [Chairman of the Mission Structure Recuperar Portugal] and the Secretary of State [for Planning, Hélder Reis] for doing that. In the ‘end of the day’ we will deliver 1,500 more homes to the Portuguese than initially planned,” he noted.
The PRR, which has an implementation period until 2026, aims to implement a set of reforms and investments to recover economic growth.
In addition to aiming to repair the damage caused by COVID-19, this plan intends to support investments and create jobs.
