Maria João Carreiro visits neighbourhoods where housing refurbishment and construction works are underway on Graciosa and Terceira islands - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Juventude, Habitação e Emprego

The Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment, Maria João Carreiro, visited this week the neighbourhoods where housing refurbishment and construction works are underway on the islands of Graciosa and Terceira, as part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) for the Region.

During the visits, where she was accompanied by the Regional Director for Housing, Daniel Pavão, the Regional Secretary noted the progress in the interventions, at a time when the Region has already implemented 28.72% of the RRP investment, an implementation level above that recorded at national level, which stands at 13.21%, according to data published on the Transparency Portal.

Among the 11 investments planned for the Azores under the RRP, the investment in the Housing component is the second highest in the Region, with no delays recorded in terms of milestones and targets in the report for the last quarter of 2023.

To date, a total of 103 dwellings have been completed, including the construction of 25 new dwellings and the refurbishment of 78 dwellings, with the refurbishment of another 61 dwellings to be completed by the end of the month.

Maria João Carreiro recalled that the EU funding of the RRP is a unique opportunity for the Region to improve the living conditions of Azoreans and consolidate the housing supply available, particularly for young people and the middle class.

In this regard, the government official urged AICOPA (Azores Building Industry and Public Works Association), as a key partner in this investment, to encourage its members to apply for the tenders already launched, thus contributing to a swift and effective implementation of the RRP investment in the Azorean housing sector.

Maria João Carreiro added that, after the organisational structure of the XIV Government is made public, the Government will award the works contract for the construction of 33 dwellings and launch the tenders for the construction of another 22 dwellings.