Cascais aims to provide enough housing for 4,085 families by 2026.
The municipality of Cascais’ website states that they will invest around 200MM euros by 2026 to “ensure access to decent housing for all and develop transformative housing policies.”
Its Local Housing Strategy (ELH), developed by a team from the Municipality of Cascais with academics from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, has just been unanimously approved in a Town Hall Meeting.
There are 10,212 people (4,085 families) to rehouse in Cascais. Of these, 6,276 people (2,384 families) suffer from housing shortages. In comparison, 3,936 people (1,701 families) face an economic shortage (i.e. they either have a rented house but are on the verge of eviction due to financial difficulties), according to the data released on the website.
“Housing shortage is a problem that cuts across different classes and strata. This implies that the solutions must be distinct under a large public housing program that is not restricted to the needs identified in the program 1º Direito (1st Right)”, says Carlos Carreiras, Mayor of Cascais.
The strategy also involves the rehabilitation of public housing stock, currently 2.8% of the total number of houses in the municipality, to reach 30% in the next few years.
To achieve that goal, the council proposes “the construction of 800 new homes, endowing the 2022 municipal budget with funds for affordable rent programs not only for the vulnerable population but also for displaced teachers and health professionals and students and also investing in neighbourhoods’ thermal comfort and environmental and energy sustainability, an essential requirement for the 21st century and that represents economic gains for families,” says the website.
To monitor the implementation of the program, the Municipality of Cascais has created a Municipal Housing Council.
