Empty house in good condition in Porto or Lisbon can be compulsorily rented
The Housing Minister said that any empty house, that is, one that has been empty for more than a year and is in good condition, can be compulsorily rented in Porto or Lisbon.
"An empty house is a vacant house," he clarified. Even if it is in a perfect state of conservation. He explained, however, that permanent homes and holiday homes, for example, do not fall within the concept of "vacant".
In the framework of the More Housing Programme, a regime of "compulsory renting" of vacant houses will be adopted, which foresees that it will be the State or the municipality's responsibility to "pay the owner the rent that is due" and to collect "the rent that results from the sub-renting" that will be done afterwards.
The Minister assures that the State "will not enter people's homes" and that it "can and should" find a solution with the owner of the property.
Measure risks being unconstitutional?
The measure that is still being built has to comply with a set of requirements and respect the basic law.
He also refuses that the State is attacking the right to private property, stating that "at no time is it questioned", and again stresses that this mechanism "presupposes working together with the owner".
He also recalls that the package of measures will enter public consultation - returning to the Council of Ministers on 16 March - so he encourages the Portuguese to contribute so that the State "can improve" the measures. He is, nevertheless, convinced that these are balanced measures and that no backward steps are foreseen.
Rental support to reach 100,000 families
The minister also revealed that the Government estimates that the rental aid, announced in the Mais Habitação package, should reach around 100,000 families.
It should be remembered that this measure foresees that the State will give support to households with incomes up to the 6th income bracket of IRS, when the effort rate is higher than 35%. This support will be a state subsidy up to a maximum of 200 euros per month and will be in force "for five years".
About the number of families that the housing credit support can help, the minister prefers not to give a number, admitting that it is first necessary to work on the measure. However, she guarantees that the The aim is to reach all families "who are effectively at risk of default"..