The Lisbon City Council assured this Thursday that it had provided several housing alternatives to the family consisting of a couple and an elderly dependent evicted on Wednesday in Arroyos, but all the solutions presented “were refused”.
The case concerns the court-ordered eviction of Carlos Almeida, Alcina Lourenço and her 89-year-old father, who uses a wheelchair and has lived for several years in T4 in the Arroyos area.
According to Carlos Almeida, Alsina was about 7 years old when she went to live with her father in the house under a lease in the name of an aunt who helped raise her, but who has since passed away, and the landlord ignored attempts to negotiate a new contract and adjust the price rent.
According to the Habita association, the family’s total income is about 1,200 euros, and in recent years it has tried unsuccessfully to gain access to a house on the housing market, as well as in the city council and Santa Casa da Misericordia.
Following the eviction action that took place on Wednesday morning, several housing rights activists contacted the Ministry of Housing to demand a housing solution for the family.
This Thursday afternoon, groups of activists went to the Lisbon City Council (CML) to demand a meeting with housing council member Filipa Roseta, but without success, according to Ana Gago from the Habita association, reported to the Lusa agency.
“The riot police battalion received us. No one deigned to accept us. We still don’t know how to organize and help this family,” said the activist, insisting that not a single organization has presented a “decent housing solution.” .
However, in a clarification sent to Lusa this afternoon, a source from the Lisbon City Council assured that the family was offered several housing options, but all of them were “refused.”
According to the municipality, led by Social Democrat Carlos Moedas, the family refused an offer of rental support under the Lisbon Social Assistance and Rehabilitation Fund, rental support for the Santa Casa da Misericordia de Lisbon (SCML) and temporary accommodation in the Municipal Service Apartment civil protection (T1 with four beds).
The family also initially rejected SCML’s proposed solution to integrate the elderly person into an ERPI.
“The municipality also provided this family with full information about the CML housing programs, in particular the Affordable Income Program and the Municipal Affordable Rent Subsidy, for which they are eligible, for which they never applied and for which they continue to not apply,” points out municipality of Lisbon.
Also according to the Lisbon City Council, “in view of the refusal of all decisions, today the SCML presented an emergency solution to accommodate all family members in a pension in Amadora,” with “accommodation provided by the CML Civil Protection.” (T1 with four beds) where you can walk right in.”
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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