The proposals of the government and opposition to combat the housing crisis were discussed today in parliament

This Friday, the Assembly of the Republic will discuss the government’s measures to combat the housing crisis, as well as 13 opposition diplomas.

In general, to the Plenum of the Assembly of the Republic in Lisbon.

At the same meeting, 13 proposals from various opposition parties will be discussed, with the exception of IL and PAN.

BE presents five bills, Chega and the PKP sign two each (with the Communists also submitting a draft resolution), and the only deputy from Livre – one. The PSD presents a draft discussion and a draft resolution (without the force of law).

Diplomas on income support and subsidizing interest on mortgage loans are already in force, which the Government was able to accept without prior discussion in Parliament.

Introduced on February 16, the program is based on five areas: increasing the supply of real estate for residential purposes, simplifying licensing processes, increasing the number of houses on the rental market, combating real estate speculation and supporting families.

During the public comment on the new measures, the Department of Housing received “more than 2,700 submissions” with proposals and requests for changes.

Among the measures proposed by the government that have attracted the most criticism is forced leasing of vacant houses, under which the state can now, based on the public interest, rent vacant houses by paying rent to the owner.

The main municipalities of the country, namely Lisbon and Porto, have already stated that they will not accept this measure.

One solution proposed by the government is rental incentives, which include stricter restrictions on local housing.

As such, new local siting licenses will be suspended until December 31, 2030 throughout the country, with the exception of about 200 municipalities and parishes in the hinterland.

The government bill also provides that registrations issued on the day the new rules come into effect will expire on December 31, 2030, renewable for five years thereafter.

The local accommodation sector, which will be represented today in the Assembly of the Republic, where it will present a petition and take part in the plenary session, warns of the impact of legislative changes on workers, the economy and tourism.

Other measures taken by the government include restrictions on rent increases in new contracts and renewal of old inflation-adjusted rental rates, as well as capital gains tax exemptions on homes sold to the state and municipalities and on family property, sale which is intended to repay a loan for the owner’s own and permanent dwelling or his descendants.

The tax credits will also be given to homes currently reserved for local housing — which will now be subject to an emergency fee — that will move into the rental market.

The program also provides for the approval of a credit line with a mutual guarantee and an interest rate subsidy for affordable housing projects.

Architectural projects will now only be licensed based on the term of responsibility of the designers, and golden visas will no longer be issued for the purchase of real estate.