The Regional Secretariat for Labour and Social Solidarity signed on Wednesday a cooperation protocol with Cáritas of São Miguel for the renewal of degraded houses, whose owners are economically disadvantaged and with little autonomy to initiate and manage requests for support.

With an amount of 50 thousand Euros, the protocol is integrated in the partnership to combat poverty is integrated in a set of initiatives undertaken by the Government of the Azores in the area of housing support with the purpose of providing better housing and conditions to the families comprised by this support measures.

In this context, Ana Paula Marques stressed that the Government of the Azores has annually signed 25 to 35 protocols with Private Social Solidarity Institutions, “Santas Casas da Misericórdias” and “Casas do Povo” in order to carry out minor repair works in degraded houses. Under these protocols, an investment of around 1.2 million Euros will be carried out this year in the renewal of degraded housing, comprising a total of 178 dwellings.

For the Regional Secretary, it is a “very important” initiative that also involves families, who will actively participate in the renewal of their houses.

As she added, these measures are also intended to “recover the existing building heritage, maintain families in rural areas and use regional human resources.”

According to Ana Paula Marques, the recovery and renewal of degraded housing, rather than the acquisition or construction of new houses, and the Lease Incentive scheme, Programme which is addressed at households with housing needs, are some of the Government’s main priorities in the area of housing.

Mentioning the Lease Incentive scheme, under the “Famílias com Futuro” (Families with Future) Programme, the Regional Secretary stressed that the Regional Directorate for Housing has received a total of 600 applications.

The innovations introduced by the new legislation stipulating the reimbursement scheme in the renewal of degraded housing, whose support measures will comprise a wider range of beneficiaries, through an exceptional access scheme, and the increase of the maximum limit of income per household were other aspects highlighted by the Regional Secretariat for Labour and Social Solidarity.