The European Commission said this Monday that it is “ready to support” European Union (EU) member states in creating affordable housing due to the current crisis, citing several public programs without responding to a request made by Portugal for new measures.
“This is a very important issue and the European Commission stands ready to support Member States in their efforts to provide affordable housing through various initiatives and funding instruments,” said Werle, Community Executive for Economic and Financial Institutions. Nuitz, being interrogated by Lusa at the institution’s daily press conference in Brussels.
Among the initiatives listed by the spokesperson is the Affordable Housing Initiative with tech support to advance greener building renovation efforts, to which is added a “broad spectrum of funding” from the community, such as Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) funds, through which there are projects “to accommodate students at affordable prices, for example, in Portugal”, and cohesion funds.
Today’s Competition Portfolio spokesman, Daniel Ferri, declined to comment on a letter sent by Portugal to the institution last Friday, noting that “in general, Member States should assess whether a particular measure includes public assistance.
“If the measure is a state aid, Member States must notify it to the Commission for a preliminary assessment,” he said in general terms.
Digital economy spokesman Johannes Barke dismissed “speculation” about Portugal’s request, saying that Brussels must now analyze the letter.
This position comes after the Portuguese government sent a letter to the European Commission last Friday outlining its priorities for 2024, in which it defended the “European Affordable Housing Initiative” given the current high-inflationary economic context. special [sentido] young people,” reads the work program published on the website of the executive branch.
“Lack of real estate supply is a problem in many cities, and the cost of housing is rising, already taking a very significant place in the monthly income of European families. In this context, the European Commission should pay close attention to the problem of scarcity and the high cost of housing, in line with the objectives of protecting the urban environment and social cohesion, areas in which, respecting the principle of subsidiarity, the EU should intervene,” President António Costa said in the document.
Since this is a “transversal problem of the entire Union”, the socialist government has requested “instruments capable of providing everyone with access to decent housing at affordable prices”, suggesting “the need for government intervention” to ensure affordable rents. working programm.