With the publication of the Regional Implanting Decree, which regulates the legal scheme for granting financial support to the renewal and repair works of degraded housing, the Government of the Azores will now support houses, whose gross floor area exceeds 160 m2, as well as the eligible expenses inherent to the regularisation of the right of ownership and the registration of the inalienability of property.

One should remind that the new legislation regulates the Regional Legislative Decree establishing the reimbursement scheme for the renewal of degraded housing, which has introduced innovations to that scheme, including the extension of the support measures for degraded housing to a wider range of beneficiaries, through a special access scheme, and the increase of the maximum income limit per household.

Under these statutes, reapplications will be possible in the cases when the period between the allocation of support and the reapplication exceeds ten years.

With regard to the amount of awarded support, it will correspond to the value of the intervention to be carried out, taking into account the household composition of the applicant, the property type, the maximum gross floor area and the eligible maximum amount per square metre.

The maximum amount of support awarded to households in Class I corresponds to 70% of the current construction costs for controlled-cost housing in accordance with the property type.

The maximum amount of support allocated per square metre may be annually changed and it is increased by 10% when the house is located on the islands of Santa Maria, Graciosa, São Jorge, Flores and Corvo.

The funds granted by the Government are intended to provide better housing and safety conditions to the households covered by these support measures.

Under the support measures to degraded housing, this amendment will benefit the preservation of cultural heritage and the maintenance of jobs in the construction sector.