The PSD/Porto district on Saturday considered the Mais Habitação program an “authentic ‘flop’ and defended that the measures “do not solve” the problem of lack of housing and are based on a “public logic of coercion and abuse of power”.
In a note to the Lusa bureau, the president of the Porto PSD district, Sérgio Humberto, says that the new housing package, presented by the government on Thursday, is “an authentic ‘flop’. [fracasso]”, by presenting “scarce”, “contradictory” measures and that “few will achieve practical results”.
“The measures do not respond to the real needs of Portuguese families, condemn a sector such as local housing to death and, worse, do not involve municipalities, which can and should play a fundamental role in this matter,” he emphasizes.
The Social Democratic District defends that the Socialist majority, led by António Costa, has “dictatorial tics” and believes that the proposed solutions “do not solve the problem of the lack of housing supply and are based on a public logic of coercion and abuse of power over the rights and property of the Portuguese”.
“An ignoble aggression against private property,” the district emphasizes, also condemning the program for not providing “no response to youth.”
The party structure “regrets that nothing has been done to help the construction industry”, which, he recalled, “is struggling with enormous difficulties and sees with this package of measures frustrated its expectations to overcome this moment of crisis”.
“With these measures, the Portuguese will continue to struggle to access decent housing and will be subject to rents and housing loans with unaffordable values, beyond their financial means,” defends Sérgio Humberto, who argues that the “statistical and outdated logic of this package of measures” condemns”.
“Portugal needs a new path for housing and beyond,” he adds.
On Thursday, the Prime Minister presented a package of measures, estimated at 900 million euros, to respond to the housing crisis in Portugal with five axes: increasing the supply of housing used for housing, simplifying permitting procedures, increasing the number of houses in the rental market, fights speculation and protects families.
The Mais Habitação program has been approved by the Council of Ministers and will be publicly discussed for a month. The proposals will go back to the Council of Ministers for final approval on March 16, after which some measures will still have to pass through the Assembly of the Republic.
Measures aimed at stimulating the rental market and streamlining and stimulating construction include the end of the ‘golden’ visas, the replacement of the tenant by the state and the payment of rent with three months’ default, the obligation to offer a flat rate in housing loans by banks and the suspension of new permits for local accommodation.
Source: DN
