Government’s plan is to double number of houses due to be built
Portugal’s Prime Minister committed last month to securing additional funding to construct 29,000 homes that were not included in the government’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) for the housing sector.
The current programme only provides funding for 26,000 new homes, but municipalities have identified the need for a total of 55,000, leaving more than half out.
During a ceremony held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in July, agreements were signed with 14 municipalities from the Lisbon and Tagus Valley regions which aim to fast-track housing projects and cut through the layers of bureaucracy that often delay them.
Speaking to reporters, Luís Montenegro stressed the government’s determination to find solutions beyond the existing €1.4 billion from the PRR and the €790 million from the State Budget.
“(…) We will do everything in the coming months to find a financial solution that will enable us, in collaboration with the municipalities, to double the number of homes built under this programme,” the PM guaranteed.
The main goal is to move forward with the construction of these houses as soon as possible, leaving bureaucratic issues to be dealt with “on the side.”
“We want these works being carried out and those problems being resolve laterally,” Montenegro added.
However, one major roadblock remains. Luísa Salgueiro, President of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP), highlighted the growing concern over whether there will be enough construction companies available to carry out these ambitious housing projects.
By MICHAEL BRUXO
