Albufeira has yet another tool to «ensure a response to financially needy families living in less dignified conditions», after having signed, on Tuesday, the 28th, a collaboration agreement with the Institute of Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHR) which allows you to access the “1º Direito” housing support program.
In all, a global investment of around 18 million euros is planned for the construction of housing for 170 more vulnerable households that have already been identified, as well as for the rehabilitation of the properties of another 27, in order to improve their housing conditions. .
«We have been devising a Local Housing Strategy for the Municipality to solve the problem of housing shortage that Albufeira has been presenting for some years. We are a young council that guarantees and promotes employment. In addition, we have many hotel units that need manpower to carry out their activity”, said José Carlos Rolo, mayor of Albufeira, during the ceremony to ratify the collaboration agreement, which took place online.
The theme of decent housing in the municipality is, as such, a central theme in the Municipality's strategy, “not only due to the growing number of people and households in financial need and living in poor housing, but also due to the significant number of households that, not living in unworthy conditions nor being financially deprived, they cannot face the value of rents practiced in the rental market».
In the case of the “1st Right”, it is a nationwide program that “aimed at supporting the promotion of housing solutions for people who live in inappropriate conditions and who do not have the financial capacity to support the cost of access to adequate housing. This program is based on a promotional dynamic aimed at the rehabilitation of buildings and leases».
“With the signing of this agreement, the possibility of ensuring a response to financially needy families living in less dignified conditions is expanded. To this end, the municipality has specialty projects nearing completion, designed to solve the housing problem of 69 families, and funding is now guaranteed through the PRR Housing», said José Carlos Rolo.
"This is the beginning of the process, because the simulations carried out daily by the Municipality's housing service indicate a growing number of families that may become part of the “1st Right” program," he added.
At this time, the City Council of Albufeira is already providing housing solutions to hundreds of residents, in three different modalities.
The supported rent covers 111 dwellings for needy households who live in poor housing.
On the other hand, there is the agreed income, in 47 dwellings that are destined to families whose effort rate is between 15% and 45%.
Finally, there is the rental subsidy, which is awarded to 292 families supported by the payment of house rent, whose annual subsidy amounts to 800 thousand euros.
“The signing of this protocol is a very important milestone, which will have a great impact on the reality of many families. I would like to congratulate President José Carlos Rolo for having associated himself with this dynamic of housing construction for the “1st Law”, with a large investment, given that a large part of it will be financed 100%» illustrated Jorge Botelho, Secretary of State for Decentralization and Local Administration, who also participated in the ceremony.
«Albufeira drew up its own Strategy, which constitutes an important constraint, as it was Albufeira that, through the Local Strategy of the Municipality, proposed to the IHRU and the Secretariat of State for Housing, to build according to its needs», he added.
«We are today taking a very important step for the Municipality of Albufeira, but also towards the implementation of a national housing policy. We will only be able to achieve the goal if local authorities prioritize access to housing, as is the case in Albufeira», said Marina Gonçalves, Secretary of State for Housing.
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