The government has unveiled thirty measures. They will be adopted in the coming months.
Converting public buildings into housing, buying aid for young people: the new moderate right-wing Portuguese government has unveiled its strategy for address the housing crisis which particularly affects the big cities. The government’s plan foresees thirty measures to be adopted in the coming months to “respond to an essential problem that also corresponds to a fundamental right”, declared Prime Minister Luis Montenegro during a press conference in Porto (north). .
“In recent years, we have not met the needs” in terms of housing, even “if everything has not been done badly, what has been done well, we will keep”, indicated the head of government ( minority), which took over from a socialist in early April.
Sharp increase in prices in recent years
In recent years, Portugal has faced a housing crisis due to a sharp increase in prices driven by real estate speculation, which mainly affects the big cities. The previous socialist government had already adopted a package of measures last year to combat the housing crisis. “We have to strengthen the offer”, estimated the Minister of Housing Miguel Pinto Luz, specifying that one of the priorities will be to “make available” “thousands of public buildings for housing”.
The government also planned aid and tax relief for the purchase of property for young people, but also to suspect certain measures of the previous government – in particular a limitation of seasonal rentals. The executive wants to return the decision-making power to the municipalities that could choose whether or not to grant new licenses.
Luis Montenegro, whose government does not have an absolute majority in Parliament, said he was ready to discuss these measures with other parties. “We count on all the parliamentary groups” to discuss these proposals, he said