Prime Minister António Costa announced this Wednesday that the state has already awarded contracts to 234 local housing strategies, at a ceremony in Faro where an act was signed to allocate 49 new housing to rent-supported families.
“Today we already have contracts between the ISHR [Instituto de Habitação e Reabilitação Urbana] and municipalities – 234 local housing strategies,” the head of government said, recalling that the task of the government is “to guarantee the right to housing”.
The government came into effect from this Wednesday and for two days in the Algarve, with various ministers and secretaries of state planning about 60 more initiatives, as well as holding the usual weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers on Thursday morning.
“The most satisfying moment is when the family finds a decent home, but perhaps the most important moment is when the contractor can actually get their hands dirty and start building that house,” said Antonio Costa.
The ceremony began with the laying of the foundation stone for the construction of a new residential complex of 49 apartments by António Costa, Housing Minister Marina Gonçalves and Faro Mayor Rogerio Bacalhao (PSD).
António Costa stressed that the Plan for Recovery and Resilience (PRR) plans to invest 2,700 million euros by the end of 2026 “to meet multiple housing needs”.
The head of government recalled that the launched project had been worked out for about ten years, and noted that in 2018, together with the municipalities, a “new generation of housing policy” was launched.
The Head of Government stressed that the case of Faro is a “model case” of partnership between the government and local authorities to address housing needs.
A residential complex with 49 apartments in Montenegro, on the outskirts of Faro, is designed to relocate 49 families currently living in Praia de Faro, under a lease maintained by the municipality of Algarve.
The work was awarded in early February with a deadline of two years and an expected cost of five million euros (excluding VAT).
The construction of these homes is supported by the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU) and funded by the Recovery and Resilience Program (PRR).
The government is in the Algarve for what is the second edition of the Closest Government, which aims to “strengthen territorial cohesion”, after the first edition of this format took place on 25 and 26 January last year in Castelo Branco.
According to the executive branch, direct contacts will be privileged, listening to local representatives and contributing to the economic and social development of the region.
As such, António Costa participated in the laying of the foundation stone for 49 houses in the Bairro de Montenegro area of Faro, followed in the morning by the presentation of the preliminary metrobus study in Olhão and the inauguration of the new PSP police station in Vila Real de Santo -Antonio and the end of the day with dinner in the capital of the Algarve.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal

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