Seguro asks mayors and the government for answers so people don't become homeless

Presidential candidate António José Seguro today called on the government and local authorities to find solutions to ensure that people whose precarious homes are demolished are not left homeless, warning that certain measures must be implemented "with all their heart."

"There are certain policies and social decisions that need to be decided with the head, but executed with the heart. And, therefore, people need a roof over their heads; they cannot be left to fend for themselves," replied António José Seguro on the sidelines of a meeting with the Patriarch of Lisbon, Rui Valério, after being questioned about the demolition of substandard housing in Loures.

From the presidential candidate's perspective, everyone needs "a roof over their head to sleep and live with dignity," considering that "shacks are not a solution."

"And so, I offer two solutions. One has to do with an emergency response. The government and local authorities, especially in metropolitan areas, but there are other cases across the country, need to come together and find a solution for situations like these. People need to have a roof over their heads," he urged.

The second solution, he argued, is to “find solutions that solve the essential problem” because there are “a huge number of people who do not have access to housing.”

"According to the latest census, approximately 190,000 homes are needed in Portugal. However, the number of vacant homes in our country is higher. Therefore, the rental market must be stimulated immediately, encouraging owners to put these homes on the market and, thus, facilitating access to housing," he urged.

On Tuesday, the PS secretary-general, José Luís Carneiro, said he understood the difficulties faced by local authorities facing precarious constructions, but called for balanced solutions “with humanism and social sensitivity” in resolving disputes.

In Beja, speaking to journalists, he said he had been informed by Loures City Council that "all precautions" had been taken with people affected by the demolition of illegal buildings in a neighborhood in this Lisbon municipality.

That same day, former PS government officials and deputies, including João Costa and António Mendonça Mendes, published an open letter expressing “deep indignation and concern” over “the demolition of the roofs of dozens of families”, authorized by socialist mayors.

The Loures municipality, headed by socialist Ricardo Leão, began on Monday an operation to demolish 64 precarious homes, where 161 people live, in Talude Militar.

The Lisbon District Administrative Court has provisionally accepted a precautionary measure filed by a lawyer representing 14 residents of the neighborhood.

The court considers that "the situation of special urgency has been verified", ordering notification of its decision "immediately and as expeditiously as possible", and also recalls that "the precautionary process is an urgent process", giving the municipality a period of 10 days to contest the decision, "without prejudice to the ruling".