"To put an end to the tents and precarious buildings in Horta da Areia once and for all, creating solutions to relocate residents and families." This is the big request for an open letter, signed by figures linked to the PS but also to institutions and associations of Faro, sent this Saturday, October 9th, to the mayor Rogério Bacalhau.
In this missive, the Sul Informação had access, the signatories defend that, in the next four years, after the re-election of Bacalhau, «the Municipality has all the conditions to solve the social problem of the Bairro da Horta da Areia».
"It is necessary to requalify this protected area to be able to return this prime area of the city to all residents of Faro," they argue.
Among the signatories of this letter are names such as Guilherme Portada (PS and former president of the Academic Association of the University of Algarve), Ricardo Mariano (director of Timing), Tatiana Homem de Gouveia (president of the Socialist Women of Faro), João Espanhol (of the Socialist Youth of Faro) and Leonel Morgadinho (also from the PS).
There are also names linked to institutions and associations of Faro, as Paula Matias (Refood coordinator of Faro who was also on the PS lists, as independent, in the last Local Authorities), Fábio Simão (president of MAPS – Movement in Support of AIDS Problems) or André Infante, from the Association of Retired, Pensioners and Elderly of the municipality of Faro.
The neighborhood of Horta da Areia emerged in the late 70s to provide «an answer to many displaced people from dilapidated municipal houses that were being demolished and to Portuguese people from the overseas colonies who returned to Portugal after the 25th of April 1974», this letter recalls. .
«Most of the residents of this neighborhood live in poverty and there are people who were displaced 40 years ago by the Municipality of Faro with the promise that it would be temporary, as the Council would allocate a social housing house in less than 6 months. There are other similar cases in Faro that need to be treated as a priority”, it reads.
For the signatories, “it is also time to make housing a real priority in Faro, being fundamental to put the words into concrete initiatives to support young families in the purchase of their first home».
«The Government of the Socialist Party has approved, in the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), 100% financing of new houses and housing that are included in the Local Housing Strategies. In Faro, this strategy was approved in 2018 with the vote of the Socialist Party in the Municipal Assembly and determines the construction of new housing as a relocation solution for the more than 50 families living in Horta da Areia», they also say.
«This is a unique opportunity for the Municipality of Faro implement public housing policies for the benefit of people, also requalifying one of the noblest spaces in our city, located in the middle of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, with a huge potential for the creation of playgrounds and green spaces for the enjoyment of those who live here and of those who visit us. This is the opportunity of the Municipality of Faro take advantage of public funding to re-execute public housing policies», he concludes.
The swearing in of the new municipal bodies of Faro takes place this Monday, October 11th, from 18 pm, in a ceremony at Teatro das Figuras.
All signatories:
Guilherme Portada
André Infante
Andre Teixeira
Andrea Ventura
Arthur Rodrigues
Beatriz Calafate
Carlos Alberto
Fabio Simão
Guida heck
Hugo Gomez
Ilda Silva
spanish john
John Friar
Jose Luis Rosa
Leonel Morgadinho
Luis Neves
Paula Matthias
Ricardo Mariano
Sandra Teixeira
Sofia Solayman
Tatiana Man from Gouveia
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