Housing requires urgent national attention and focus
The housing crisis in Portugal is currently a pressing and unaddressed concern, as the country grapples with increasing precarious and illegal housing conditions. Experts, including sociologist Sandra Marques Pereira and retired Lisbon City Council employee Isabel Santana, have emphasised that housing is not being treated as a national priority, reflected in the lack of an autonomous Ministry for housing and insufficient government coordination.
Current Situation
Portugal's housing crisis is marked by rising housing needs and limited effective policy action. The situation has sparked public protests demanding an emergency housing plan and eviction halts, signalling social unrest linked to housing insecurity. The housing policy framework lacks prominence in government priorities, contributing to worsening conditions and an insufficient response. Substandard, "illegal" housing proliferates due to the lack of emergency intervention.
Challenges
The absence of an autonomous Ministry dedicated to housing weakens policy focus and strategic response. Fragmented coordination between central and local authorities hinders large-scale solutions. Rising housing demand in urban areas like Lisbon exacerbates shortage and affordability issues. To ensure safe, decent living conditions, it is crucial to curb the growth of precarious housing. Managing regulations around short-term rental licenses (Alojamento Local) adds complexity, as municipalities gain authority to regulate but face pressure to balance housing availability and tourism-driven rentals.
Proposed Solutions
Experts and former municipal housing officials advocate for an urgent, well-funded national housing emergency plan focusing on large-scale housing construction. The plan should involve coordinated governance between central and local governments to align policies and streamline implementation. Municipalities are now empowered to regulate the short-term rental market (Alojamento Local) to protect housing availability for residents and limit over-tourism effects. Increasing investment and lending for housing development is essential, drawing lessons and support from broader European housing crisis responses, although specific national funding amounts were not detailed in the sources.
Isabel Santana predicts that the proliferation of shacks and precarious constructions will continue unless large-scale construction and coordination between central administration and local government are implemented. With a degree in social work, Isabel Santana followed the operations of the Special Rehousing Program (PER) in 1993, a time when there was political awareness of housing precariousness, closely linked to the fight against poverty. Sandra Marques Pereira advocates for a permanent public housing program.
In conclusion, Portugal’s housing crisis demands immediate prioritization and coherent strategic planning at the national level to reverse the trend of deteriorating housing conditions and social inequalities tied to shelter.
- The current housing crisis in Portugal, characterized by increasing housing needs and inadequate policy action, has given rise to public protests demanding government intervention, such as an emergency housing plan and eviction halts.
- Experts, including sociologist Sandra Marques Pereira and retired Lisbon City Council employee Isabel Santana, have highlighted the lack of an autonomous Ministry for housing as a major obstacle in addressing the crisis, since this weakness undermines policy focus and strategic response.
- To alleviate the shortage and affordability issues in urban areas like Lisbon and ensure safe, decent living conditions, officials are consulting solutions like a national housing emergency plan that focuses on large-scale housing construction, coordinated governance between central and local governments, and increased investment and lending for housing development.
- According to Isabel Santana, continued growth of precarious housing conditions, such as the proliferation of shacks, will remain a concern unless large-scale construction and coordination between central administration and local government are implemented, drawing lessons from historical programs like the Special Rehousing Program (PER) during the 1990s.
