Maria João Carreiro highlights material and social legacy of RRP investment in housing in the Azores - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Juventude, Habitação e Emprego

The Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment highlighted on Wednesday the material and social legacy that the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), combined with regional investment in housing, will leave in the Azores, particularly in terms of strengthening and upgrading the public housing stock, as well as improving the safety and quality of life of Azorean families.

During a visit to monitor the progress of construction work on the apartments in the Trás-os-Mosteiros housing development in Ribeira Grande, São Miguel Island, Maria João Carreiro also emphasised the importance of acknowledging the efforts undertaken to ensure that this investment translates into tangible housing solutions.

“When there are projects that have been completed or are currently underway, when there are hundreds of houses to be built and refurbished, the least one would expect is recognition that a historic investment in housing is being made in the Azores. Downplaying this effort disregards the work of professionals, organisations and companies who, every day, are committed to making the RRP a real, visible and transformative investment for Azorean families,” he emphasised.

According to the Regional Secretary, the Regional Government will remain focused on results to create the conditions for more Azoreans to find suitable housing, whether on land plots acquired by the Region decades ago but never developed, or on developments and concrete structures neglected by the Socialist Governments.

This is the case with the Trás-os-Mosteiros development, where 52 apartments are in the final stages of construction, representing an investment of over €7 million from regional and EU funds.

This is also the case with the Foros do Sol Mar housing development, in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo, São Miguel Island, where 23 apartments are in the final stages of completion, representing an investment of over €2.1 million. 

This is also the case with the Nossa Senhora do Rosário housing development in Vila das Capelas, municipality of Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, where the servicing of 36 plots for housing development and construction is currently underway, representing an investment of over €2.2 million.

“The greatest achievement of the RRP housing programme is not just the houses and plots we are building, but the lives that are being transformed. Every renovation, new house or plot allocated represents greater stability, greater certainty and a better quality of life for families,” she emphasised.

This year alone, the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition Government has launched a public tender for the allocation of more than 270 new dwellings, including apartments and serviced plots, such as, for example, the 144 serviced plots on the islands of São Miguel, Flores, São Jorge and Santa Maria, or the 92 houses in the Nascer do Sol neighbourhood on the island of Terceira.

At the same time, the Government has introduced legal instruments to ensure that these new housing solutions are available to families at prices compatible with their income, namely the lease with purchase option scheme, under which tenants may exercise their purchase option one year after signing the lease agreement.

“This Government has made a clear and consistent choice. It is implementing a new housing policy that is fair, inclusive and tailored not only to the serious housing shortages, but also to social groups such as the middle class and young people, who are currently required to make greater financial efforts when accessing housing,” she said.

The Azorean Government has also revised the support schemes for self-build projects, not only to include more eligible families but also to increase the amount of support. Furthermore, it has introduced a non-repayable grant of up to €5,000 towards the cost of architectural designs and specialist services for the construction of housing on land plots provided by the Region or on private plots.