This Monday, the PCP tabled three proposals to amend the government’s “More Housing” package with the aim of protecting family homes and ensuring stability for people in the rental market.
Speaking to journalists in Covilhã, in the context of the PCP’s parliamentary days, communist deputy Bruno Dias defended that the government package does not break with the idea that “housing is a kind of product in a speculative market”on the last day on which the parties may, in particular, submit proposals to amend government diplomas.
“We do not agree and that is why we propose to delete the various measures proposed by the government in its bill with regard to the ‘eviction counter’, the so-called special procedures, changes to the so-called new city rent regime”he said.
According to Bruno Dias, this new regime is coming “protect certain prerogatives of landlords, investment funds”to make “the state serves as a guarantor for the landlord, practically as a collector of the tenant’s tailcoat”.
“The PCP has been advocating for years for the abolition of the eviction counter, the rental, the penalty payments that protect everything on the side of investment funds and make tenants more vulnerable. We propose to abolish these measures”he stressed.
On the other hand, regarding the state’s acquisition of housing, the PCP deputy defended that these properties should not be used for the “Accessible Income” program, which I believe serves to “subsidize speculation and drive prices very high.” hold”.
Alternatively, Bruno Dias said, should these acquisitions be used under the supported or conditioned income regime, “in which both the municipalities and the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU) assume a housing guarantee so that people can pay more economically and more accessible”.
The PCP deputy also stressed that in the proposals presented this Monday, the party also wants to scrap “the range of tax exemptions” provided by the government package, which he deemed “unfair” and “emphasize inequality, including in rents.”
“What we are presenting are measures that indeed respond to the problems that people feel, whether it is housing protection – namely in the case of loans to banks – (…) [quer] with the guarantee of defending the interests and rights of the tenants in view of the stability to be guaranteed in the lease”he said.
Regarding the National Housing Plan and Simplex, Bruno Dias stated that his party is proposing the creation of “an unrestricted regime of simple information”, warning that the local government currently “does not even have the capacity to comply with the Municipal Master Plan”.
“We are presenting this series of proposals that actually result in both the warnings that we have issued, both with regard to housing protection for families who have bank credit and loans to pay, and with regard to tenants who need stability rather than even greater uncertainty”marked.
When asked if there seems to be openness among the PS to these proposals to change the PCP, Bruno Dias replied: “In theory a lot of openness. In practice, see how it goes”.
The PCP deputy stressed that his party “does not want to comply with the agenda for discussing proposals”, insisting that it presents its proposals, identifies what seems unacceptable in the executive’s proposals and “points to solutions”.
“We are ready to continue this debate and what does not seem to us a good sign is that the starting point for this discussion is proposals on the part of the government that adhere to this logic of housing as a commodity that has prevailed so far “he said.
Source: DN
