In yet another apparent attempt to get the prime minister ‘on side’, PS leader José Luís Carneiro has written a third letter to Luís Montenegro, this time on solutions he can see for the housing crisis.
Political commentators have already alluded to the juggling act facing Luís Montenegro as he governs without a majority. It cannot involve ‘favouring’ a particular party in opposition (as that could see all parties line-up against him). He has to keep juggling, and keep minority parties ‘guessing’. But, Mr Carneiro also needs to show his electorate that he has ‘solutions’ – and thus these letters will likely continue.
Following on from the first letter about a ‘strategic agreement over defence’, and the second about creating a unit for hospital emergencies, this new one calls for more partnerships between the state, local authorities, cooperatives, charitable institutions and economic agents to resolve the housing crisis – with a focus on modular construction.
The housing ‘solution’ is divided into eight areas of action focused on settling the “urgent need for accommodation and affordable housing”.
Alongside financial support, Mr Carneiro thinks the country should invest in the creation of a new industrial construction cluster, a sector severely affected by the crisis of 15 years ago, and says that the focus should be on innovation, such as modular and industrialised construction, allowing for “faster, more economical and higher quality solutions” and the better use of land.
Given that local authorities are best placed to understand the real needs of the general public and conditions on the ground, he says it is essential that the State ensures that they have “the financial, technical and human resources to effectively implement local housing policies”.
Carneiro argues that the investment effort should go further, with increased funding for existing programmes to promote renting, namely the Programme to Support Access to Housing (1st Right), the Financial Support Programme for Young People’s Rent (Porta 65), the Affordable Rental Programme and the Controlled Cost Construction Programme.
At the same time, he suggests that a National Affordable Housing Construction Programme be created to increase the public housing stock for middle-income families through the renovation, construction and acquisition of properties to rent at affordable prices.
After the creation of a National Emergency Housing Stock in 2021, the Socialist leader suggests to the prime minister that this be expanded to respond to emergency situations such as those of São Tomé nationals evicted from the shanty development in Bairro do Talude (Loures, Lisbon region).
In Carneiro’s view, the emergency housing stock would serve to accommodate families in emergency situations while housing is built “in a few months, for example through modular construction”.
The socialist leader stresses that the National Student Housing Support Programme should also be a priority of housing policy, with investments defined in collaboration with higher education institutions and priority given to students with fewer resources who are studying away from their family homes.
He adds that it is essential to “reform the institutional model for managing public housing policy”, intervening in the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU) to reduce bureaucracy and strengthen the decentralisation of powers.
In addition to all these suggestions, José Luis Carneiro argues that it is necessary to plan medium and long-term investments to give “predictability to housing policies and encourage industry”.
The measures will also be submitted by PS Socialists to parliament once it reconvenes in September – either in the form of draft bills or proposals in the state budget for 2026, adds Lusa.
Source material: LUSA
