The Regional Secretary for Social Solidarity presided over in Ponta Delgada the allocation of 13 dwellings to the families residing on the island of São Miguel under the lease with purchase option scheme.
 
Three dwellings were allocated in a neighbourhood located in Sete Cidades (municipality of Ponta Delgada), six apartments in the Quinta do Castanheiro neighbourhood in Livramento (municipality of Ponta Delgada) and four apartments in Ribeira Seca (municipality of Ribeira Grande) covering 13 families residing on São Miguel.
 
In her speech, Andreia Cardoso highlighted the housing policies pursued by the Regional Government, especially in this type of scheme providing access to permanent housing to a portion of the "middle class" population that has been experiencing difficulties in accessing credit."
 
“Households will benefit from affordable rent and will have the option to purchase the house as soon as they are financially able to do so. The amounts already paid by families will be deducted from the price of house at the time of purchase," stated the Regional Secretary.
 
Andreia Cardoso emphasised that the lease with purchase option scheme "is just one component of the Government's housing policy." In fact, it includes several programmes, such as support for the purchase or construction of housing, lease incentives, recovery of termite-infested dwellings and rehousing of families in situations of severe housing shortage.
 
In this regard, she added that “the Region currently has a number of different of programmes adapted to the needs still arising in this area, which have been instrumental in relieving the household’s effort rate with housing costs or with its purchase."
 
“The vision we have for the housing sector in the Azores follows a comprehensive regional strategy that strongly promotes social and territorial cohesion by helping the maintenance of families in their communities," stated the government official.
 
Moreover, the Regional Secretary stated that "politics only makes sense because it is made up of moments like this, when the power conferred upon us by the people enable to redistribute and guarantee rights such the access to housing."