Housing agency rejects Socialist claims of ‘political delay’ over empty new homes

Portugal’s Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU) has accused opposition politicians of spreading misleading claims after Socialist Party (PS) leader José Luís Carneiro alleged the government was delaying the allocation of completed homes for electoral reasons.

In a strongly worded statement released on Friday, the public housing agency called for “greater rigour and responsibility” from political leaders – saying inaccurate public claims risk undermining confidence at a crucial stage in the implementation of Portugal’s PRR (Plan for Recovery and Resilience Plan).

The dispute centres on 10 houses comprising 19 accommodation units in Azinheira dos Barros, in the municipality of Grândola.

During the closing session of the PS parliamentary days earlier this week, Mr Carneiro accused the government of leaving completed homes vacant while waiting for “a new electoral cycle”. He later visited the development, arguing the properties had been completed two years ago using PRR funding approved under the previous Socialist administration but that they remained unused.

The IHRU rejected those claims, saying his comments contained “inaccuracies that do not correspond to the facts”.

According to the institute, the properties were financed under the National Emergency and Temporary Accommodation Pool (BNAUT) programme and were never intended to provide permanent housing for families.

Instead, the accommodation was designed to offer emergency and transitional housing for vulnerable people, including victims of domestic violence, homeless individuals, people affected by natural disasters, labour exploitation or other situations requiring temporary protection before permanent housing can be arranged.

“The programme does not, under any circumstances, constitute a permanent housing solution, contrary to what has been claimed by the PS secretary-general,” said the institute.

IHRU explained that the homes cannot become operational until they are certified by Portugal’s Social Security Institute and a qualified managing organisation, such as a private social solidarity institution (IPSS), has been appointed.

The agency accepts however that on May 27 it received a new application from Azinheira dos Barros and São Mamede do Sádão parish council to transfer the 10 dwellings into the government’s 1.º Direito affordable housing programme, which provides permanent homes.

That application is currently under review but can only be approved once funding under the BNAUT scheme is formally withdrawn.

IHRU rejects suggestions that it has failed to act, noting it has already paid around 91% of the approved PRR funding for the project – and insisting it gives equal priority to meeting PRR targets under both the BNAUT and 1.º Direito programmes.

In the meantime, Secretary of State for Social Action and Inclusion Clara Marques Mendes also dismissed the PS leader’s allegations, calling them “completely unfounded”. She acknowledged that some properties intended for supported independent-living projects remain vacant because no managing organisation has yet been appointed, but said responsibility does not lie with the current government.

Marques Mendes also criticised Carneiro’s visit to the development as “manifestly imprudent”, arguing that publicly identifying accommodation intended for vulnerable groups, including victims of domestic violence, could compromise their safety.

However, Luís Vital Alexandre, the Socialist mayor of Grândola, argues that the project’s original purpose has changed (thus the units are no longer intended for vulenerable groups). He said the homes are now expected to become part of the 1.º Direito programme (i.e. available for permanent use).

The mayor argued that priority now should be to put the homes into use as quickly as possible – adding that the parish council, which owns the project, is still owed around €280,000 in PRR funding, and has limited financial capacity to bridge the shortfall.

When all is said and done, it seems that everyone in this story was ‘right’ – but that if the use of the homes has indeed changed since they were constructed (from emergency use to permanent), then the PS leader’s intervention, highlighting the situation, might at last hasten their being put into good use.

Source material: noticiasaominuto/ Lusa