This Wednesday, the PS broadly enabled all PSD diplomas on housing, by abstinence, allowing the discussion of all initiatives to continue in the specialism, at the seat of the parliamentary committee.
At the end of the debate on housing marked by the PSD, the PS abstained on the Social Democrats’ five diplomas (four bills and a resolution), which include measures such as the flexibility of licenses, support for renting , state guarantees to help youth purchases and general tax relief in the sector.
In the PSD diploma specifically aimed at young people — which proposes, for example, to replace the ‘down payment’ for those who buy a house up to the age of 35 with a state guarantee for properties up to 250,000 euros — five PSD PS delegates voted in favour, including the leader of the Socialist Youth, Miguel Costa Matos.
The PS abstained from voting on the diplomas of all opposition parties on housing, except Chega, which it voted against, declaring its ‘lead’.
In addition to the PSD diplomas, those of the Liberal Initiative were also approved: a bill to allow civil society (private or social initiative) to rehabilitate vacant state properties, if it does not agree to sell them, at an affordable rent of five years (after that period they can be used at your discretion); and a recommendation to the government to create a Digital Urban Licensing Portal.
A Livre resolution (without the force of law) was also passed, recommending that the government employ the human resources necessary for the pursuit of public housing policies, rejecting the party’s bill so that only IRC- exemption could be attributed to funds and real estate. Real estate investment companies that make 30% of their real estate available in the Lease Support Programme.
The two rejected Chega diplomas aimed at exempting the payment of stamp duty for the purchase of real estate up to 250,000 euros and the reduction to 6% of VAT on rehabilitation works in real estate intended for housing.
Along the way there was also a resolution from the BE, which recommended that the government “not sell or transfer public land to real estate speculative processes”, and another from the PCP that resumed the party’s proposals before they ‘failed’, such as imposing renegotiation of home loans or limits on the value of new leases.
In the closing stages of the debate, the PS party leader, Eurico Brilhante Dias, expressed his cabinet’s will to “continue the discussion in the specialty” and that “a great consensus is possible” in parliament on the subject of housing.
Despite the withholding of all PSD diplomas, the only Social Democratic proposal pointing to convergence with the government package was the proposal to simplify the housing permit regime.
Earlier, the leader of the JSD, Alexandre Poço, lamented the government’s lack of response to the youngest and “rediscovered” a character he had brought to the debate on the last state budget, “Ana dos Olivais.”
“I am convinced that Ana dos Olivais would do the same as Socialist deputy Miguel Costa Matos and would vote in favour. The entire PS will not disappoint Ana dos Olivais today”appealed.
On February 16, the government presented the “More Housing” package, a process that will only be finalized in the Council of Ministers at the end of March, with several proposals still to be passed by parliament.
In the PSD package, the party proposes to set up a cooperation program between the state and local entities for vacant properties: contrary to the government’s proposal (which provides for the rental of vacant private homes by the state), the municipalities identify unused public buildings and propose (separate or associated) projects to use them, becoming administrative property if the state does not respond within a short time.
In terms of taxation, the PSD wants to reduce the withholding tax on real estate for residential rent (from 28 to 23%, with stronger reductions for longer contracts), exempt from IMT (Municipal Tax on Loss-making Transfers of Real Estate) to 168 thousand euros, strengthen the IRS deduction for the payment of rent and interest on mortgage loans, and apply the minimum VAT rate of 6% to construction works and renovation of residential buildings between 2024 and 2030 .
In another diploma, the PSD proposes, in order to mitigate the impact of the increase in interest rates on mortgage loans, to restructure debts to banks (reduction of the monthly payment), with a part towards the end of the contract, and the establishment of a housing allowance for families with an income up to the sixth rung of the Tax and Customs Administration (approximately 38,000 euros).
Source: DN
