Hundreds take to the streets demanding affordable housing in Portugal

Euractiv

2 days ago

LISBON – Hundreds of people took to the streets of downtown Lisbon on Saturday in a demonstration for the right to housing, which mainly attracted young people.
'Portugal has the highest house prices in Europe. The OECD [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development] recently considered Portugal to be the country with the least access to housing, so it is very important that we are here on the streets to show that the options put forward by the government - PS, PSD and CDS - are not yet resolving the housing crisis,' said Diogo Machado, 24, one of the many young faces present at the Casa para Viver (Homes to Live In) demonstration in Lisbon.
Speaking to the Lusa news agency at the end of the demonstration, which started at Largo de Camões and ended at Arco da Rua Augusta, passing through the tourist area of Baixa de Lisboa, the young man stressed that, with this PSD/CDS-PP government, 'houses rose in the first quarter of the year, more than they had in many years'.
'Housing only becomes accessible when prices decrease,' he added.
Leonor Heitor, 21, who lives in Lisbon but studies in the Algarve, also asked: 'How is it sustainable to live in a country where rents equal the minimum wage?'
For this young woman, landlords should lower rents, and policymakers should implement measures to regulate local accommodation. Meanwhile, urban planners should also address the broader urban plan by renovating 'so many empty buildings', which could house 'so many people seeking affordable places to live.'
Protesters chanted slogans such as 'April (the month of the 1974 revolution) demands a home to live in, a home is for living, not for speculation', and 'lower rents, raise wages' during the demonstration.
Hundreds of protesters asserted their right to housing, emphasising that they have to choose between paying the rent or eating.
Among the protesters was former independent MP Helena Roseta, author of the first Basic Housing Law, passed in 2019, who participated as a citizen fighting for the right to housing, as provided for in the Constitution of the Republic.
'Portuguese authorities deny the right to housing to a huge percentage of young Portuguese people, and when an entire generation lacks housing rights, we compromise the future,' she told Lusa. 'The government must get this into its head; it needs to solve the problem.' Of course, it has done some positive things, but we need to go further.'
Roseta said that the country must offer houses for sale and rent at affordable prices, and that rentals should always include a contract, a receipt, and the relevant papers.
'People win rights; they are not granted. We face a battle that extends beyond national borders and encompasses the transnational arena. […] Portuguese supply is limited, while transnational and multinational demand is vast, making balance challenging,' said Roseta, advocating, for example, a new housing rental code.
At the end of the demonstration, near the Arco da Rua Augusta, André Escoval, one of the spokespeople for the Casa para Viver platform and a member of the Porta a Porta movement, highlighted the 'great strength' in mobilising people 'to defend one of the most important national issues, the right to housing', noting that, in addition to Lisbon, people organised protests in 11 other cities across the country.
'This is a fight that will continue. The hundreds of people who participated in this demonstration today sent a clear message to the government that they will return to the streets after the summer. The 2026 State Budget must include an unequivocal commitment to housing,' said Escoval, noting that lawmakers should adopt measures 'immediately,' such as rent regulation and longer contract terms.
(edited by Maria de Deus Rodrigues)