Building Portugal: Government presents 30 measures to tackle the housing crisis

The government has announced a set of measures to tackle the housing crisis. The New Housing Strategy aims to provide an urgent response to the difficulties in buying or renting a home.

The plan "Construir Portugal: Nova Estratégia para a Habitação" aims to encourage the supply of housing, promote public housing, encourage youth housing and ensure housing accessibility.

To this end, the government will make 25,000 homes available as part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) and change the Land Law. This change will allow rustic land to be used for sustainable housing solutions, such as affordable rent, controlled-cost housing, or the provision of function houses for teachers, security forces, agricultural and industrial workers and the tourism sector.

The New Housing Strategy provides for an exemption from IMT and Stamp Duty for young people up to the age of 35 on properties up to 316,000 euros (corresponding to the fourth IMT bracket) and the reformulation of the Porta 65 program, putting an end to exclusions based on rent limits. 

The difficulties of student accommodation, which keep young people with greater economic difficulties away from higher education, will be the subject of an Emergency Program. 

See the 30 measures set out in the New Housing Strategy on the government website. 

Source: Government portal