The Regional Secretary for Social Solidarity stressed in Ponta Delgada the importance of the partnerships the Government of the Azores has established with local authorities and private social solidarity institutions (IPSS) in the expansion of the efforts for the recovery of degraded housing.
 
"These are strategic partnerships the Government has been developing with authorities, IPSS and "Santas Casas da Misericórdia" because we believe that when there is understanding and cooperation between public authorities and other entities, Azorean families benefit from extended support," stressed Andreia Cardoso.
 
The Regional Secretary signed Friday morning two cooperation agreements with the village councils of Água de Pau and Capelas in the amount of 76 thousand Euros for minor rehabilitation works in the dwellings belonging to nine families.
 
These contracts represent an overall public support of 55 million Euros on the part of the Regional Government of the Azores. They are intended to improve the housing conditions of these households in situations of economic insecurity, especially those with children and the elderly in their care.
 
With these partnership contracts, the support will now be increased since public partner institutions that, in addition to being responsible for the management of processes and funds, will also provide human resources in accordance with their capabilities; this corresponds to an increase of about 30% of the subsidy awarded by the Azorean Government.
 
"Both entities will join forces in order to better implement these investments," Andreia Cardoso said, recalling that "the Government has established cooperation agreements with more than fifty partners since the beginning of the legislative period in a public investment amounting to 1.7 million Euros."
 
During the afternoon, the Regional Secretary for Social Solidarity will visit some dwellings where rehabilitation works are ongoing. These interventions were made possible, through similar agreements established with the village councils of Feteiras, Mosteiros and the "Casa do Povo" of Feteiras.