The Regional Director for Housing met today with the Board of AICOPA - Azores Building Industry and Public Works Association in the context of hearing process and collection of contributions to the diagnostic phase of the Housing Agenda 2017-2031.
 
Orlando Goulart stressed that the document "aims to define housing policies in various areas in this time frame until 2031," such soil occupation as well as policies and strategies for urban rehabilitation, including social housing.
 
Having already started to hear municipal authorities, the Regional Director emphasised the importance of "a broader consensus" among various partners in the sector with regard to this tool, stressing the importance of a comprehensive survey of the situations to be addressed.
 
Orlando Goulart recalled that, following this diagnostic phase, the Government of the Azores has already presented measures aimed at solving some of the situations identified, such as the lack of available houses for long-term leases. In this regard, he mentioned the measure presented in the discussion of the Plan and Budget for 2018, which provides for the revision of support scheme for the rehabilitation of degraded housing in order to foster the availability of housing in the rental market.
 
"We are going to expand the market so that it may cover vacant buildings, promote the rehabilitation of these buildings and find more solutions for those who wish to rent," said the government official.
 
The Housing Agenda 2017-2031 is a measure included in the Programme of the Government and aims to adapt public measures for this sector to the current and future needs of the Region.