The Casa Para Viver or “House to Live in” movement is once again taking action as the shortage of homes in Portugal has hit a critical point. Their plan is to hold housing crisis protest in at least 22 towns and cities across the Portugal on September 28. The protesters are enraged and said that they need to act quickly because they want the government to fix the housing problems which are continues to going worse regardless of promises of improvement.
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Portuguese Families Struggling To Find Homes
The movement depends on the idea that the already poor situation has been made worst by recent changes in management. Rita Silva is a spokesperson for Casa Para Viver and a member of the Vida Justa (Fair Life) movement.
She expressed these concerns in a recent interview. She highlighted that it is getting harder and harder for Portuguese families to find safe homes, especially for young people and people who are at risk of being removed.
Silva stated:
We’ve called another demonstration because we continue to see that, despite the packages, programmes, measures, and policies announced by successive governments, the housing situation continues to worsen in our country.
The housing crisis in Portugal is not new. Families have had a hard time for years paying rent that keeps increasing. The fact that these problems seem to be getting worse. Silva mentioned that families and young people alike are being pushed out of the housing market due to skyrocketing rents and property prices.
She said:
Families in Portugal still can’t find a solution; young people still can’t get access to housing; evictions are still rife
Government Policy Changes
The present government, led by Luís Montenegro of the centre-right Social Democratic Party (PSD), has decided to revoke several housing policies, which is one of Casa Para Viver’s major objections. These include limits on short-term rentals, which the movement views as a vital step to control rising rental costs.
The previous government had put limits on AL (Alojamento Local), which refers to short-term tourism rentals in an effort to minimize the effects of urbanization and housing shortages in urban areas. However, the current administration has lifted these prohibitions, much to the dismay of activists.
Silva added:
This new government has revoked a series of achievements. The new government has given all the freedoms back to AL, repealing the limitations that had been approved.
Short Term Rentals Impacts
The Short term rentals which are popularized through platforms like Airbnb have become a critical issue in Portugal. While they provide income for property owners and attract tourism but critics argue that they also increase rental prices and reduce the availability of long term housing.
By removing these restrictions on short term rentals, the government has given property investors more freedom which is leading to higher rent prices that are pushing locals out of their homes.
Silva emphasized that the government’s decision to remove the restrictions on rental increases is another blow to affordable housing in the country. Furthermore, the government has decided to keep the non-habitual resident regime which is a tax incentive scheme to attract wealthy foreigners.
Government Supporting Investors
The Casa Para Viver includes over 100 organizations and has already led several demonstrations believe that the government is more interested in catering to the needs of property speculators than addressing the housing needs of the population.
In a statement, the movement accused the government of making a pact with those who speculate and rejected the proposal to use public-private partnerships to develop affordable housing.
According to Casa Para Viver, these so-called affordable housing projects are often inaccessible to the average person living in Portugal, making them ineffective in solving the housing crisis.
Silva said:
We don’t believe in the new government’s measures. We see the situation worsening and that’s why we’re taking to the streets again on September 28
Public Protests On September 28
The housing crisis protest on September 28 highlight the fourth time that Casa Para Viver has organized people across Portugal. In June and September of last year as well as in January of this year, people took to the streets to protest the housing situation.
Now, with the crisis growing and little confidence in the government’s policies, the movement is returning to public places with new enthusiasm.
Protests have been scheduled in cities such as Lagos, Portimão, Aveiro, Guimarães, and Braga. The largest strike is expected to take place in Lisbon’s Jardin de Alameda, where crowds are set to gather at 3 PM. Silva believes that public pressure is the only way to push the government towards real change.
Silva emphasized:
We cannot get tired of taking to the streets and protesting, because it is through these mobilisations that we will be able to make some kind of progress on housing policies.
